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'
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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 The best books about Anglo-Saxon history that are detailed but still fun and easy to read.