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The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
 
 
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The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) [Illustrated] (Paperback)

by John Blair (Author) "The sources for the fifth and sixth centuries are few and unsatisfactory in the extreme ..." (more)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Product Description
First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Blair's Very Short Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Age covers the emergence of the earliest English settlements to the Norman victory in 1066. This book is a brief introduction to the political, social, religious, and cultural history of Anglo-Saxon England.

About the Author
John Blair is Fellow and Prelector in Modern History, The Queen's College, Oxford. His publications include Early Medieval Surrey (1991), Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire (1994), Ministers and Parish Churches (1988), English Medieval Industries (1991), The Cloister and the World (1996), and The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society (forthcoming).
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The sources for the fifth and sixth centuries are few and unsatisfactory in the extreme. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A good overview - informative and accessible, 24 April 2007
By J. Aitcheson (Wiltshire, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I am a big fan of the idea behind the Very Short Introduction series, and the way in which they provide information in an easily accessible manner. John Blair's "The Anglo-Saxon Age", while not the best example in the series, is certainly up there.

The book is set out in roughly chronological fashion, tracing the political development of England from the earliest settlements in c.450 through to that famous date of English history, 1066. Where it becomes appropriate, Blair takes the opportunity to bring in developments in society, religious culture, and trade and the economy - and it must be said that this structure works very well. The book contains plenty of illustrations to give flavour to the information. There is a list of suggested further reading at the back, which is commendable, although it could be more extensive considering the size of the subject concerned. Similarly, although there are maps to provide context, just two isn't quite enough to show the complex political and territorial changes.

To cover the entire Anglo-Saxon period - a whole six centuries - in just 90 pages (only 75 of which are the main text) was always going to be a tall order. Compare this with "The Crusades: A Very Short Introduction", which weighs in at 150 pages, a better length which allows for a more in-depth study of the subject matter. As a result "The Anglo-Saxon Age" remains only an overview of the subject, although a very respectable one. It is more easily digestible and certainly less daunting than one of the standard histories, such as "Anglo-Saxon England" by Frank Stenton (although that might be more useful for a student of medieval history). It might be worth also considering James Campbell's "The Anglo-Saxons", or Michael Wood's "In Search of the Dark Ages" as good places to start.

At the price this book is being offered by Amazon, it is nonetheless a good buy for the casual reader or for someone encountering the Anglo-Sazon period for the first time. Recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The making of England, 29 Jan 2007
By Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
With the main text being only 75 pages, this is a very short Very Short Introduction, but an excellent one nonetheless. It covers the years 450 to 1066, but with just a cursory glance at events before 600. It is fact-packed and readable, with good illustrations, including two very useful maps. You should certainly read Roman Britain: A Very Short Introduction before this, and ideally, The Celts: A very Short Introduction, before that. This particular book leaves the reader with a strong sense of how much the Anglo-Saxon age shaped England's landscape and culture. If you want a broad overview of British history, this may be all you need for this period. If you intend to delve deeper into the era, this is a great place to start.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Lightening the darkness, 1 Feb 2009
By Jon Chambers (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
There's no disguising the fact that an understanding of the Anglo-Saxon period is thwarted by a lack of evidence. A recent Time Team excavation of an Anglo-Saxon settlement (at The Castles, I seem to remember) revealed nothing but dark-stained soil, indicating vanished timber structures. In this book, John Blair can't fill in all of the blanks, but he succeeds in giving us a vivid impression of life during this 600 year phase of English history.

At times, even Blair sounds resigned. During the early Anglo-Saxon period (ie around 600), evidence is so pitifully thin 'that there seems little point in speculating further.' But even this period is occasionally brought spectacularly to life with some brilliant shafts of light which illuminate the darkness: the Sutton Hoo grave c620 (probably that of King Raedwald - an early over-lord identified by Bede) whose artefacts are the best in northern Europe. Some of the early literature is equally evocative: the poetic fragment 'The Ruin' and Gildas' character assassination of the tyrant, Vortipor, for example.

Blair portrays early Anglo-Saxon England as in many ways similar to its pre-Roman ancestor: a fragmented, non-urban, warrior society. He is unequivocal about the fate of the indigenous 'Brittonic' population, which was displaced, enslaved and despised, and its culture (like that of Rome) obliterated.

Blair often has the gift of aphorism: the late Anglo-Saxon kingdom had become rich and ripe for plunder (first from Denmark and later, of course, the Normans): 'In the 990s, as in 1066, England's wealth was also its danger'. He is also insightful: the reason why Irish missionaries (Columba, Aidan et al) had so much more success than their Italian and Gaulish counterparts was that they too were from tribal and non-urban societies. Oh, and Ethelred the Unready's curious name is explained: all hinges on an Old English pun (Æthelræd Unræd = Noble Counsel, No Counsel). No great wordplay, either.

This edition first appeared in 1984 (like its companion volume, Roman Britain). But it has stood the test of time well and is let down only by several irritating typos.
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