Full Story of the Anglo-Saxon Invasion

by Michael G. Kramer

The story starts with the historical facts of ancient Germanic tribes amalgamating and two of them becoming dominant. These were the Franks and the Saxons. In the case of the Saxons, they were originally the remants of the army of Alexander the Great and they dispersed to many parts of the world after his death in Babylon. It is known that the Saxons arrived on the northern coasts of Germania, arriving there in Greek ships. The Saxons amalgamated with the Engel tribe from about midway of the Jutland pennisula. The Engels were fine warriors and sailors, They lived allong a fiord with its enterance on thhe western side of the pennisula.. The mame of the fiord was Eckenforde. Soon aftter that, the Saxons again amalgamated, this time with the Kimbern Tribe from the north of the penisuula. The Kimbern were called Ciimbri by the Romans who dreaded them and they even went south to Rome and sacked it. After the Roman withdrawal from Britania, the king of the Britons, called Vortigern asked for Germanic warriors to protect hiis people from maruuding Scots who were crossing Hadrian's Wall at will and raiding the Briitons. Eventually the call to protect the Britoons was answered by the two twin bother princes of the Kimbern Triibe called Hengest annd Horsa. They diid in fact stop the incursions of thhe Scots and after they had brought in their families from Germania, their decendents became the English. England was so called because as the Engels were appoaching the costs of Britania, many of them remarked, "The coast here looks like what we have left in Germmaniia. I hereby named this to be Engel-land." (Home of the Engels)

Genres: Contemporary, Book Club, Drama, Novels, Historical Fiction

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2025

About the author

Served Australian army, including war service in the Vietnam War in 1968 - 1969. Came home to public shunning of Vietnam Veterans and discrimination against Vietnam Veterans by potential employers. This resulted in the setting up of the first business, (contract fencing) because I could not get a job. In due course, I studied for Advanced Diploma of Egineering Technology, Associate Degree of Civil Engineering and I am now doing my Arts degree. It was during the study of the arts degree that I became interested in the history of Northern Europe and Germania during the times of Julius and Augustus Ceasar. This led to researching and writing of the second book entitled 'For the Love of Armin'. Currently studying Bachelor of Construction Management.

Reviews

[DaveyCart]

Here’s my take on Full Story of the Anglo Saxon Invasion. I went in a little skeptical and came out weirdly charmed. The book reads like a campfire history told by a commander who still has mud on his boots. It moves from wide-angle origin stories (Franks here, Engels there, Saxons sailing in) to the close, occasionally gossipy beats of Vortigern, Hengest, and Horsa. I liked how plainly it lays out the geography and the why of it all; the Eckenforde/Anglen passages made the migration feel less like a myth and more like a map you could actually trace with a finger. I didn’t expect the missionary thread with King Lucius and Pope Eleutherius to feel so vivid, but it does, and it sets up the religious friction that follows in a way that makes sense rather than sermonizing.

The voice slips into legend now and then, Horsa narrating, Woden in the family tree, knives hidden under cloaks, and I’ll admit I’m a sucker for that tone when it doesn’t derail the timeline. Here, it mostly works. The “bull’s-hide thong” fortress bit and the cool, tactical ambushes at Hadrian’s Wall have a cinematic snap. I kept pausing to imagine the logistics: horses, Ceol ships, men trying to learn enough German to take orders before dawn. It’s oddly tactile.

Do I buy every claim? Not always. The Alexander-the-Great origin line for the Saxons raises an eyebrow for me; it’s presented firmly, but I read it as one tradition among several, not settled consensus. Still, even when I wasn’t convinced, I was entertained and occasionally impressed by how thoroughly Kramer cross-stitches tribal amalgamations with later English kingdoms. The prose can lean talky and old-school, like an uncle who won’t let you leave the table until you’ve had a second helping of context, but there’s energy in that insistence.

It’s a brisk, sometimes brash chronicle that makes familiar names feel newly argumentative and alive, so five stars. I closed it feeling like I’d been told a big story by someone who really wanted me to see the coastline, the ships, the gatehouses, the sudden quiet after an ambush… and I kind of did.

[Cywizard]

I did not expect this to be so propulsive. It begins as a straight history lesson and then slides into something stranger and oddly engaging, with the voice of Horsa guiding us like a fireside storyteller who happens to be dead and still full of opinions. There is swagger and sincerity. The early chapters set out a bold thesis about the Saxons arriving by Greek ships after Alexander, the Engels on the Jutland fiord of Eckenforde, the fearsome Kimbern, and the way these peoples braid into what becomes England. I braced for chaos and then found myself turning pages and muttering wait what and then okay, I buy it for now because the author keeps connecting the dots.
The middle stretch is my favorite. Vortigern pleads for help, Hengest and Horsa arrive with careful plans, and suddenly the map comes alive. Hadrian’s Wall becomes a stage for ambushes. Thanet is a puzzle to be solved with a bullhide thong. There are letters, councils, strategic feasts, and the hint of a long game that is equal parts power grab and survival. The tone wobbles between scholarly and campfire and, honestly, that mix works. It reads like a grandfather telling you the family version of national myth and daring you to fact check him later.

Now and then the prose over explains what I already understood. A few claims sit on thin ice, at least for me, and I caught myself bookmarking passages to look up later. Still, the narrative clarity is real. I liked the way the book pauses to consider faith and conversion, then snaps back to ships and blades and the practical math of food and land. I kind of loved how messy that got. The argument is not tidy. The people are not tidy. That feels honest to the era the book imagines.

Four stars that land close to four and a half. I closed it feeling a little stunned, a little skeptical, and very glad I read it. I will remember the voice most of all. The ghost telling you who you are, whether you agree or not.

[Grady]

‘Edward was victorious over the Danes and England was his’ – History revisited

Australian author Michael Kramer earned degrees in architecture and engineering, and is a Veteran of the Vietnam War, having served with the First Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) in the Vietnam War during 1968 and 1969. He has published ten books - FOR THE LOVE OF ARMIN, NOW WHAT?!! (and the version, ANGLO-SAXON INVASION), ARMINIUS AND THUSNELDA VERSUS ROME, A GRACIOUS ENEMY & AFTER THE WAR (2 volumes), A CASTLE OF DOOMSDAY, ISABELLA WARRIOR QUEEN, HIS FOREFATHERS AND MICK, THE FULL CIRCLE FOR MICK, and now THE FULL STORY OF THE ANGLO-SAXON INVASION.

Having read and enjoyed all of Michael Kramer’s books, it is with some assurance that this reader underlines the importance of his contribution to our understanding, appreciation, and respect for history. His meticulous analysis of history provides insights rarely shared as well as important information to consider about the wages of war! In this immensely successful book, he utilizes his illuminating scriptive gifts, conversing with the reader in a conversational manner yet with a keen perception of the facts of the subject of this book. He served as an Australian infantry soldier in the Vietnam War, and his resultant perception of world history is poignant: information about the actual history of the world’s wars and subsequent developments. Once again Michael Kramer demonstrates his prowess for underscoring the impact of history and historical realism closely based on fact and obvious sophisticated research. Very highly recommended

[Mireza]

Chemistry verdict: not a romance, obviously, but the relationship tension is surprisingly strong in that brutal old world way. This is a sweeping retelling of the Anglo Saxon invasion, moving from the Germanic tribes and the arrival of Hengest and Horsa through power struggles, conversion, battles, and the long shaping of England.
The way the book treats history as a chain of personal choices instead of just dates on a page. Hengest and Horsa have a sharp, tactical energy, and the conflicts with Vortigern, Rowena, Arthur, Alfred, and the rival kingdoms give the story its emotional voltage. I bought it when ambition, faith, family loyalty, and survival kept crashing into each other. That is the real chemistry here, not romance, but tension between people who want land, legacy, power, and belonging.
I also liked the direct, oral storytelling feel. It moves fast and has a rough campfire quality that suits the violence and mythic sweep. My one want was more breathing room. So many rulers, battles, and betrayals arrive that a few emotional beats could have landed harder.

[Valery]

Full Story of the Anglo-Saxon Invasion is an absorbing and richly detailed exploration of a pivotal moment in history. Michael G. Kramer’s depth of knowledge shines through on every page, bringing intense historical revelations and little-known perspectives to life with clarity and precision. The book reads well; it is thoroughly researched, engaging, and full of information. The writing skillfully weaves together historical detail, cultural insight, and solid analysis. So if you're interested in early British history and the Anglo-Saxon era, this is a great book to dive into. Recommended.