Marc Morris

__________________ 'A deep dive into one of the murkiest periods of our national history ... Splendid' DAN JONES, Sunday Times 'An absolute masterpiece' DAN SNOW 'A rich trove of ancient wonders' IAN MORTIMER __________________ Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Grand cities and luxurious villas were deserted and left to crumble, and civil society collapsed into chaos. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and established themselves as its new masters. The Anglo-Saxons traces the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries. It explains how their earliest rulers fought relentlessly against each other for glory and supremacy, and then were almost destroyed by the onslaught of the Vikings. It explores how they abandoned their old gods for Christianity, established hundreds of churches and created dazzlingly intricate works of art. It charts the revival of towns and trade, and the origins of a familiar landscape of shires, boroughs and bishoprics. It is a tale of famous figures like King Offa, Alfred the Great and Edward the Confessor, but also features a host of lesser known characters - ambitious queens, revolutionary saints, intolerant monks and grasping nobles. Through their remarkable careers we see how a new society, a new culture and a single unified nation came into being. Drawing on a vast range of original evidence - chronicles, letters, archaeology and artefacts - renowned historian Marc Morris illuminates a period of history that is only dimly understood, separates the truth from the legend, and tells the extraordinary story of how the foundations of England were laid. __________________ 'This is top-notch narrative history ... a big gold bar of delight, the special joy of which is that the florid world of Anglo-Saxon England will become known to many. As an up-to-date, accessible narrative history of the period, I know of none better.' SPECTATOR

A History of the Beginnings of England

The Anglo-Saxons

Interesting correlation between emerging religion and expression of kingship. 

Wynter

The rapid progress of Christianity in the second half of the seventh century coincided with a sharp decline in the princely barrow burials and huge mead-halls...

The Anglo-Saxons quotes

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