The Anglo-Saxons in 100 Facts

Martin Wall

Jun 2016 · Amberley Publishing Limited

About this ebook

The Anglo-Saxon age was one of great change and unrest. Lasting from the departure of the Romans in approximately AD 400 until the Norman invasion in AD 1066, this era was defined by the continued spread of Christianity, the constant threat of Viking raids and the first stirrings of a nation that would become known as England. With its strange customs and unfamiliar names, the Anglo-Saxon era became mysterious and misunderstood, ironically by the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons, the English people themselves. Archaeological discoveries have forced us to re-evaluate these ingenious and skilled people, and to acknowledge the debt we owe to them. Martin Wall seeks to ‘de-mystify’ the period, breaking it down into easy-to-read, bitesize chunks, and to show that the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ were by no means backward or inferior. It was a truly heroic age, whose exemplars, such as King Offa, Alfred the Great, Lady Aethelflaed or Athelstan, stand beside the giants of world history. In 100 excerpts from these turbulent, bloody and exciting centuries, a proud, complex, but ultimately doomed civilisation is revealed.

About the author

Martin Wall has been interested in history since his early childhood, when he became fascinated by legends, folklore, magic and myth. Following his retirement, he published his first book, 'The Anglo-Saxon Age', in 2015. In 2019 his 'The Magical History of Britain' became a bestseller in 3 different categories. For more information visit historyeducation.org.uk.