The Anglo-Saxons (Penguin History) [Paperback]

James Campbell (Author), Eric John (Author), Patrick Wormald (Author)

Book Description

Series: Penguin History | Publication Date: August 6, 1991

This survey, an introduction to the history of Anglo-Saxon England looks at political history, and religious, cultural, social, legal and economic themes are woven in. Throughout the book the authors make use of original sources such as chronicles, charters, manuscripts and coins, works of art, archaelogical remains and surviving buildings.The nature of power and kingship, role of wealth, rewards, conquest and blood-feud in the perennial struggle for power, structure of society, the development of Christianity and the relations between church and secular authority are discussed at length, while particular topics are explored in 19 "picture essays".

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (August 6, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140143955
• ISBN-13: 978-0140143959
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

115 of 115 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best introduction available to Anglo-Saxon history., March 3, 1998

By 

Robert E. Helmerichs (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Anglo-Saxons (Penguin History) (Paperback)

Written by three of the leading historians of the Anglo-Saxon period, this is easily the best introduction to its subject. The writing is authoritative yet accessible, giving a good idea not only of the course of Anglo-Saxon history, but also of the problems with the sources and of disputes within the historical community. Only in the final chapters, by Eric John, do major historical disputes sometimes go unnoted; one would not know, e.g., from his discussion of Harold Godwineson that some historians greatly respect Harold, or that not all historians believe that Edward the Confessor firmly intended William of Normandy to succeed him. To his credit, however, John's presentation here is more orthodox than elsewhere (for his unadulterated views, see his contentious and delightful Reassessing Anglo-Saxon England).

The physical presentation of the book is far more attractive than is usual for textbooks. It is in a large format and lavishly illustrated, including a number of color pictures, and has several good maps of England (although it is curiously lacking in maps illustrating the European context of English history, and it could also use genealogical tables to help sort through some of the myriad characters). The bibliography is good up to 1981, the original date of publication, but unfortunately it was not updated when Penguin reissued the book, and thus cannot take account of the scholarship of the past two decades. It also has, regrettably, "secret" endnotes at the back of the book, not signaled in the text, which often lead the reader to primary source material and some secondary discussions; it is well worth the reader's effort to seek out the endnotes periodically.

In short, The Anglo-Saxons is highly recommended for anybody seeking a general introduction to the history of this period. My highest praise is that when I taught a university course on Anglo-Saxon history, this is the only book I considered for a main textbook.

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughts from an armchair historian, December 31, 2003

By 

Tyler Tanner (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Anglo-Saxons (Penguin History) (Paperback)

The book is rich in detail, highly informative and well illustrated. The picture essays throughout the book are great, the ones on the cult of St. Cuthbert and the formation of boroughs I found particularly enjoyable.
Part history, part archeology the book tracks down and gives origins and backgrounds of the source materials that the authors use providing some great insight not normally found in other books on the subject. After reading this book, one can't help become an admirer of Bede. Also what I found interesting is that most of the book emphasizes the history of Anglo-Saxons ecclesiastically instead of following the monarchs like most others.
My one severe critizism of the book is that there is no mention of the Witanagemot anywhere. Other problems that I had were that the last third of the book was surpisingly a glossy overview of events. Which is ironic since that is the era of Saxon England that has the most detail. And the book can be dry in places.

It has been noted that this has been used as a text book and I can see why. But I do not recommend this as the first book to get regarding this subject. The authors expect you to have at least a general knowledge of Anglo-Saxon England, particularly when it comes to its kings. Those familiar with the history will find this an excellent addition to your library. Critizisms aside, this is an admirable work and I'm glad I bought it.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction, March 23, 2000

By 

Mark Howells (Puyallup, Washington State, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Anglo-Saxons (Penguin History) (Paperback)

This well-illustrated volume provides an excellent introduction to the Anglo-Saxon period. The "picture essays" regarding coinage and other specialized topics help provide detail without interrupting what amounts to historic narrative.

The problems of using source documents are detailed as well as the triumphs of modern archealogy in expanding our understanding of this period of history.

The photographs, drawings, and maps compliment and support the text nicely.

Highly recommended as an introduction to the period and its people.