Includes bibliographical references (pages 457-482) and index.
Contents:
Introduction -- The ruin of Britain : the fall of Rome and the coming of the Saxons -- War-wolves and ring-givers : the emergence of kings and kingdoms -- God's chosen instrument : St Wilfred and the establishment of Christianity -- An English empire? : King Offa and the domination of the south -- Storm from the north : the Viking assault on Britain and Francia -- Resurrection : Alfred the Great and the forging of Englishness -- Imperial overstretch? : King �thelstan and the conquest of the north -- One nation under God : St Dunstan and the pursuits of uniformity -- The ill-counseled king : �thelred the Unready and the fear of apocalypse -- Twilight : the rise of the House of Godwin -- Conclusion.
Summary:
"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."--Publisher's description.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.