Why read The Anglo-Saxons?

Book cover of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England

Book description

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'[A] clever, lively ... splendid new book'
DAN JONES, SUNDAY TIMES

'A big gold bar of delight'
SPECTATOR

Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and…

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European history

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Anglo-Saxons as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Trevor P. Kwain

Author

Non-fiction history books are hardly exciting, and I don’t assume this book will be a hit with everyone. As a history buff, I’ve never been a fan of the dark era of the Anglo-Saxons, known for its lack of written evidence and relatively unknown characters that made the England we know today.

Yet, Marc Morris makes this book an over-arching narrative of what may have likely happened, spanning 500 years and combining historical, archaeological, and literary evidence. It is a great example of how to write interesting non-fiction without the tedium associated with historians and archaeologists.

For the first time…

From Trevor's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Andrew Varga

Author

This book provides a grand tour of 600 years of English history in a light, entertaining way that kept me engrossed throughout.

Although it would be impossible to cover all Anglo-Saxon history in just one book, the author does a fantastic job of introducing the major people and events that defined and shaped this period of English history.

From Andrew's list on detailed, fun, and easy to read Anglo-Saxon history.