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anabradley's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this. On the whole easy to follow (though I did have to look up a few things) and reflected the complexity of Anglo-Saxon society without becoming too dense.
My tutor requested I read this for my Old English paper and record the bits that surprised me/challenged my perceptions. I think my main takeaway was just how influential the Anglo-Saxons were to modern England. Previously, I was under the impression that the Norman Conquest basically obliterated all that came before it (I blame Paul Kingsnorth's 'The Wake', which is still a fantastic read).
My tutor requested I read this for my Old English paper and record the bits that surprised me/challenged my perceptions. I think my main takeaway was just how influential the Anglo-Saxons were to modern England. Previously, I was under the impression that the Norman Conquest basically obliterated all that came before it (I blame Paul Kingsnorth's 'The Wake', which is still a fantastic read).
krj's review against another edition
2.0
The problem is it's too short: you get a sentence or two—at most, and rarely, a single paragraph—on each figure/event Blair deems worthy of entering the annals of Anglo-Saxon history. It's like reading a chronology of bullet-pointed events. Would have been better served reading Wikipedia articles.
lukescalone's review against another edition
3.0
This is a decent starting point for early medieval Britain, and I think any faults I have with it are more a problem of source base than the text itself. I would have liked more detail, but when annals and archeology is all you have to work with, you can't get much more than a broad outline. I'm sure there are better texts, but this is probably one of the shortest.
andreasj's review
4.0
Very good basic introduction to Ango-Saxon England--its politics, wars, religion, administration, and social structure.
alexctelander's review
3.0
Number eighteen in the series, The Anglo-Saxon Age is a very useful tool for those taking History 316 or 351, covering the Middle Ages, as well as Early Western Civ. Not many people know the exact dates for the Anglo-Saxon period (roughly 410, with the Roman withdrawal, to 1066 with the arrival of William the Conqueror), and even less know of some of its kings with names like Aethelbald, Edmund, and Eadgar. Well, it’s all here in this little book, touching on what all the kings did, including an index and necessary timeline during this turbulent period when only the kings and their closest subjects truly knew who was king to their kingdom.
Originally published on October 21st, 2002.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
Originally published on October 21st, 2002.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
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