Bede: The Man Who Invented England

by Edoardo Albert

What is England, and who are the English? The man who first posed and answered these questions lived 1,200 years ago in Northumberland. The Venerable Bede spent almost his whole life in two monasteries looking over the North Sea, far from the centres of civilisation. Yet he became the foremost scholar of the first millennium, writing a history that continues to illuminate the Dark Ages, while also popularising our modern dating scheme.

Faced with a Britain of competing kingdoms and peoples, it was Bede who first wrote of the English as a single people. It was his vision that created the story that has united and divided Britain ever an island divided into three countries.

Based on the most up-to-date research and historical and archaeological evidence, this book pieces together Bede's life and those of the monks and nuns, warriors and kings, farmers and merchants who made up the kingdoms in the contested realm of Britain. 

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 4, 2026

About the author

Edoardo Albert is a writer of Sri Lankan and Italian extraction based in London. He writes about history and archaeology, particularly of the early Medieval period, as well as writing historical and speculative fiction.

Find out more about him and his work at www.edoardoalbert.com. Follow him on Twitter @EdoardoAlbert or like him on Facebook.