An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England [Paperback]

Peter Hunter Blair (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1977 | ISBN-10: 0521292190 | ISBN-13: 978-0521292191 | Edition: 2

This is a lucid, authoritative and well-balanced account of Anglo-Saxon history. Peter Hunter Blair's book has achieved classic status, and is published now with a new, up-to-date bibliography prepared by Simon Keynes. Between the end of the Roman occupation and the coming of the Normans, England was settled by Germanic races; the kingdom as a political unit was created, heathenism yielded to a vigorous Christian Church, superb works of art were made, and the English language - spoken and written - took its form. These origins of the English heritage are Hunter Blair's subject. The first two chapters survey Anglo-Saxon England: its wars, its invaders, its peoples and its kings. The remaining chapters deal with specific aspects of its culture: its Church, government, economy and literary achievement. Throughout the author uses illustrations and a wide range of sources - documents, archaeological evidence and place names - to illuminate the period as a whole.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a general history intended for the novice and it is, I think, a quite remarkably successful production." The New Statesman -- Book Description

Book Description

This third edition of Peter Hunter Blair's classic account of Anglo-Saxon history includes a wholly new introduction written by Simon Keynes. The first two chapters survey Anglo-Saxon England: its wars, its invaders, its peoples and its kings. The remaining chapters deal with specific aspects of its culture: its Church, government, economy and literary achievement. Throughout the author uses illustrations and a wide range of sources--documents, archaeological evidence and place names--to illuminate the period as a whole. Simon Keynes has also prepared a thoroughly updated bibliography. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 398 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (October 28, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521292190
• ISBN-13: 978-0521292191
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,047,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent beginner-to-intermediate book for A-S England, January 31, 2004

By 

GrauFrau "Voracious Reader" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England (Paperback)

"An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England, 2nd edition" (hereafter, IASE) by Peter Hunter Blair is exactly as it is titled. It is fairly thorough for an introductory book and would be well-suited for someone new to A-S England history, but more advanced A-S scholars might find it a bit too basic. It is also written in a rather dry, "just the facts" style, which made it, for me anyway, a really long read. While I found it very interesting, and certainly instructive, I can't say it was "a fun read". IASE is organized topically, rather than chronologically, however it is chronological within each section. The information is organized very well, and Blair combines various recorded written, linguistic, and archaeological sources to provide as complete a picture as possible while still maintaining an introductory level of information. Blair writes in his preface, "The study of this period is at heart a study of the sources and because this ought to be understood even by the novice, I have tried to tell him something about the evidence on which the narrative is based, about its weakness as well as its strength." Blair uses footnotes, a format I prefer to endnotes, and makes good use of the included maps, diagrams, and illustrations. Numerous linguistic explanations offer an added bonus to readers interested in a very basic introduction to A-S etymology.

The chapters are as follows:
Ch 1 - "The Foundations of England", 8 sections from "The last days of Roman Britain" to "Movements toward unity".
Ch 2 - "Britain and the Vikings", 8 sections from "The Scandinavian background" to "Edward the Confessor and the end of the Anglo-Saxon state".
Ch 3 - "The Church", 9 sections, from "St. Augustine's mission" to "The last century of the Anglo-Saxon Church".
Ch 4 - "Government", 5 sections from "The rule of king" to "Local government".
Ch 5 - "The Economy", 3 sections from "The country" to "Towns and trade".
Ch 6 - "Letters", 6 sections from "Language" to "Learning in the new monasticism".

The book also includes 16 plates (illustrations), 9 maps, 7 text-figures (diagrams, floor plans, linguistic charts), an extensive bibliography, and index.

Overall, I would rate this book as an excellent introduction to A-S history for the beginner-to-intermediate student, but more advanced scholars would probably do better to acquire the books and sources Blair draws on for IASE.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good general survey, March 15, 2009

By 

Christopher R. Travers "Einhverfr" (Chelan, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England (Paperback)

I thought this was a good general survey of Anglo-Saxon England and deserves a place on the shelf next to "A History of the Vikings" by Gwyn Jones.

This is not an introduction for the casual reader but a serious introductory survey of the material. If you are interested in STUDYING Anglo-Saxon England, this is the introduction for you. If not, there are shorter and more accessible books out there.

I gave this book 4 stars because I found the material well organized and thought out if a tad inaccessible. It is an important book though and I would recommend it to anyone interested on the subject.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Introduction"? Maybe if you're a grad student in history, September 24, 2005

By 

S. Pactor "reader" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England (Paperback)

Maybe if you're a grad student in history, this might be an "introduction". If you're a lay reader, this might be a tad much in the detail department. Blair commands the material, but the material itself is a tad on the dry side. I say that as someone who's read a fair amount of books about "late antiquity" and the "middle ages". Part of that is attributable to the obvious fact that Anglo Saxon england was a brutish, hobbseian kind of place. Certainly its a thorough read, but it lacks fun and is a slooooow read for a book of 350 pages.