The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England [Hardcover]

Michael Lapidge (Editor), John Blair (Editor), Simon Keynes (Editor), Donald Scragg (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0631155651 | ISBN-13: 978-0631155652

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England is a major reference-work covering the history, archaeology, arts, architecture, literatures and languages of England from the Roman withdrawal to the Norman Conquest (c.450 - 1066 AD).

• Maintains and stimulates an interdisciplinary approach to Anglo-Saxon studies.


• Includes contributions from 150 experts in the field.


• Accessible style and layout make the encyclopedia an excellent reference tool.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lucidly presented, and in a form to look simple, there is in this one index alone a vast array of information. Who needs this book? Anyone with an interest in medieval England will find much of value in it. The non-specialist reader could find many new delights. The Anglo-Saxon specialist will appreciate both the wealth of detail and the succinct generalities. The level of authority assembled here is impressive and reassuring." Times Literary Supplement

"If you are only going to buy one general reference work to supplement the books dealing with your particular area of interest, then you could do no better than this." Widowinde

"This volume is a major achievement of extensive and durable value. All students of Anglo-Saxon England, at whatever level, will wish to have it at hand." English Historical Review

"This is a great addition to the works of reference available to students of Anglo-Saxon England at every level: one never opens the book without learning something." Notes and Queries

"This volume provides an eminently authoritative and up-to-date guide to the ever-developing field of Anglo-Saxon studies. It will be welcomed as a valuable basic research tool by Anglo-Saxonists of all levels of experience requiring assistance and bibliographical direction on particular topics. It will also be a boon to non-specialists seeking reliable information about an unfamiliar subject-area. The Encyclopaedia will be an essential and much-consulted addition to all basic reference collections of books on Anglo-Saxon England."

"Lapidge, et al. have compiled a unique storehouse of knowledge, a synthesized compendium of classic and contemporary research from a wide array of interdisciplinary fields within Anglo-Saxon and medieval studies ... In addition to graduate students, undergraduates at senior level respond well to this volume. The encyclopaedia provides a base, a place for students to research; rather than coming to class with vague or generalized knowledge, the students come back equipped with issues that probe them into discussion and further investigation." H-Net Reviews

"Blackwell Publishers have filled an important gap in the reference section with this first major reference work solely devoted to the interdisciplinary study of Anglo-Saxon England circa 450 to 1066." Canadian Journal of History

From the Back Cover

The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England is a major reference-work covering the history, archaeology, arts, architecture, literatures and languages of England from the Roman withdrawal to the Norman Conquest (c.450 - 1066 AD). Drawing on contributions by scholars of international standing, the book comprises a series of some 700 articles by 150 contributors, arranged in alphabetical order, describing the people, places, activities and creations of the Anglo-Saxons. The articles are illustrated by maps, line-drawings and black and white photographs; the book is accompanied by a comprehensive table of the 'Rulers of the English, c.450-1066', and by a classified index of head-words to facilitate access to the Encyclopaedia itself.

The Encyclopaedia can be consulted for information and bibliographical orientation on points of detail; in addition, its accessible style and layout make it ideal for browsing by readers interested in aspects of Anglo-Saxon England outside the range of their own specialism. Representing the full breadth of recent scholarly investigation, the volume is the first large-scale work of synthesis and reference in the field since Stenton's Anglo Saxon England (1943) and is likely to become the standard reference on this subject.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (February 3, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631155651
• ISBN-13: 978-0631155652
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,004,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and comprehensive - an excellent reference, April 21, 2008

By 

The Wanderer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England (Paperback)

"The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England", edited by Lapidge, Blair, Keynes and Scragg, is a collection of 700 articles by 150 different scholars, covering almost every conceivable aspect of political and social life between the Roman departure from Britain and the Norman Conquest.

The articles cover subjects in political, social, economic and ecclesiastical history, linguistics, literature, archaeology, historiography, and even science (for example the article on Astronomy). The material is not heavy-going either: each piece is concisely written, covering on average less than half a page (although some extend to as much as two), which is long enough to provide an introduction to a topic without being overloaded with detail. In addition, every topic is followed by its own mini-bibliography, which opens up possibilities for further research - although this may be more of use for students than the lay reader, since many of the references point to academic journals rather than general texts.

Context is provided by a comprehensive and highly useful list of the rulers of the English kingdoms, as well as four pages of maps demonstrating the changes in England's political landscape over these centuries. The Encyclopaedia is organised in alphabetical format, making navigation easy, and all the articles are extensively cross-referenced. A further useful feature is the index, which classifies all 700 pieces by subject, so that it is possible at a glance to find all articles on, for example, art and architecture, or language, or kings and queens.

All in all, the "The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England" is a tremendous resource. For students it will prove an excellent first port of call when engaging with the academic literature, as I found out when studying at university. For the casual reader with an interest in the period, there is much that can be learnt simply by dipping into the material, although for someone approaching Anglo-Saxon history for the first time, it might be more worthwhile beginning with a conventional narrative account of the period - such as John Blair's "The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction", or Frank Stenton's "Anglo-Saxon England".