The Birth of the Anglo-Saxons: Three Kings and a History of Britain at the Dawn of the Viking Age
By Max Adams
Pegasus Books
ISBN: 978-1-63936-831-0
This book explores the rise of the Kingdom of Mercia, focusing on the reigns of Æthelbald (716–757) and Offa (757–796). It shows how Mercia became a dominant power in early medieval Britain, laying crucial foundations for the emergence of England.
Excerpt:
The Birth of the Anglo-Saxons, like my other books about the Early Medieval period, is a portrait of power, how it was exercised at all levels from the humblest household right up to the sceptre-wielding imperium of the greatest warrior kings. That power was expressed tangibly in landscape and architecture, in weapons, jewellery, dress fittings, coins and pottery, in roads and harbours and in the written word. Through them we see how relations between people and their lords, and tensions between church and state, propelled post-Roman Britain towards its emergence as a heterogeneous, creative and dynamic force in the Middle Ages and beyond.
Who is this book for?
While books on early medieval England are plentiful, few focus specifically on the eighth century. Adams’ work will appeal to readers interested in English history—especially the Anglo-Saxon period—and will prove valuable to scholars studying medieval charters.
This book is also published as The Mercian Chronicles: King Offa and the Birth of the Anglo-Saxon State AD 630–918.
“His book provides a new and welcome perspective on what is still, after so many centuries, the heartland of England, and which was, perhaps, the kernel of the English state.” – review by Tom Shippey in the London Review of Books
The Author
Max Adams is a well-known archaeologist and author, having penned over a dozen books. This includes several on early medieval England. You can learn more about Max on his personal website.
The Birth of the Anglo-Saxons: Three Kings and a History of Britain at the Dawn of the Viking Age
By Max Adams
Pegasus Books
ISBN: 978-1-63936-831-0
This book explores the rise of the Kingdom of Mercia, focusing on the reigns of Æthelbald (716–757) and Offa (757–796). It shows how Mercia became a dominant power in early medieval Britain, laying crucial foundations for the emergence of England.
Excerpt:
The Birth of the Anglo-Saxons, like my other books about the Early Medieval period, is a portrait of power, how it was exercised at all levels from the humblest household right up to the sceptre-wielding imperium of the greatest warrior kings. That power was expressed tangibly in landscape and architecture, in weapons, jewellery, dress fittings, coins and pottery, in roads and harbours and in the written word. Through them we see how relations between people and their lords, and tensions between church and state, propelled post-Roman Britain towards its emergence as a heterogeneous, creative and dynamic force in the Middle Ages and beyond.
Who is this book for?
While books on early medieval England are plentiful, few focus specifically on the eighth century. Adams’ work will appeal to readers interested in English history—especially the Anglo-Saxon period—and will prove valuable to scholars studying medieval charters.
This book is also published as The Mercian Chronicles: King Offa and the Birth of the Anglo-Saxon State AD 630–918.
“His book provides a new and welcome perspective on what is still, after so many centuries, the heartland of England, and which was, perhaps, the kernel of the English state.” – review by Tom Shippey in the London Review of Books
The Author
Max Adams is a well-known archaeologist and author, having penned over a dozen books. This includes several on early medieval England. You can learn more about Max on his personal website.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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