Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms

by Claire Breay (Editor), Joanna Story (Editor)

The Anglo-Saxon period stretches from the arrival of Germanic groups on British shores in the early 5th century to the Norman Conquest of 1066. During these centuries, the English language was used and written down for the first time, pagan populations were converted to Christianity, and the foundations of the kingdom of England were laid.

This richly illustrated new book - which accompanies a landmark British Library exhibition - presents Anglo-Saxon England as the home of a highly sophisticated artistic and political culture, deeply connected with its continental neighbours. Leading specialists in early medieval history, literature and culture engage with the unique, original evidence from which we can piece together the story of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, examining outstanding and beautiful objects such as highlights from the Staffordshire hoard and the Sutton Hoo burial.

At the heart of the book is the British Library's outstanding collection of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, the richest source of evidence about Old English language and literature, including Beowulf and other poetry; the Lindisfarne Gospels, one of Britain's greatest artistic and religious treasures; the St Cuthbert Gospel, the earliest intact European book; and historical manuscripts such as Bede's Ecclesiastical History and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. These national treasures are discussed alongside other, internationally important literary and historical manuscripts held in major collections in Britain and Europe.

This book, and the exhibition it accompanies, chart a fascinating and dynamic period in early medieval history, and will bring to life our understanding of these formative centuries.

Genres: History, Medieval, Nonfiction, Anglo Saxon, British Literature, Art History

452 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2018

About the author

Dr Claire Breay is the Lead Curator for Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts at the British Library where she has worked since 1998. In 2015 she curated with Julian Harrison an exhibition at the British Library to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

Reviews

[John Isles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the catalogue of an exhibition we visited last year at the British Library in London. Interesting artifacts were displayed from Anglo-Saxon to early Norman England, including famous items such as the Alfred Jewel, Domesday Book, and most of the surviving poetry written in Old English. Manuscripts constituted most of the exhibition, and the book reproduces usually one page from each, opposite a short description. Unfortunately few will be able to read the texts, because they are in abbreviated Latin, Old English, or Old French, and in many cases are written in unfamiliar scripts. We are told that they give us important insights into the life and thought of the period, but to open these insights better to the reader it would have been helpful to include translations, for which the blank spaces on facing pages would have provided room in many cases.

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exhibition catalog, but one that is augmented with a decent amount of historical background/context. The photos are universally excellent, as are the descriptions.

The only negatives I can come up with are quibbles, really. The organization/order is a little haphazard, I would have done the sidebars a little differently, and so on - none of these are meaningful. I will note, though, that people who aren't familiar with this era may be in for a surprise if they are expecting really "gaudy" or fancy items; that wasn't the style (or capability) of the time, so the beauty of a lot of these objects is more subtle.

[William Southwell-Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb catalogue of an equally superb exhibition. A must-have for anyone seriously interested in the Anglo-Saxon world and especially their written culture. The quality of the illustrations and photographs leaves you wanting for nothing and the text is informative and detailed whilst still being entirely accessible.

[ClareT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book thinking I wouldn't get to the exhibition on which it is based, but fortunately I did. I have been reading the book on and off for a couple of years. It has a lot of background information about the pre conquest period - my favourite in British History, and excellent examples and illustrations from manuscripts, as well as photos of physical objects that formed part of the exhibition.
This beautifully produced book is divided into several sections, each with an introduction and then there are 161 catalogue items with a brief description by an expert. From Spon Man, to Beowulf, King Alfred's Jewel to the Domesday Book, as well as the massive Codex Animatinus - there is a wide range of items covered in the book.
Definitely one I shall be coming back to so I can indulge my love of manuscript art.

[Trish Graboske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packed with information and illustrations of wonderful manuscript pages. Hefting a book that weighs almost five pounds while reading it, however, is a real chore.

[Shuhui Shen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As guidance, it comprehensively introduces key manuscripts in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly incredible catalogue of an incredible exhibition.