England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest

by Jennifer Paxton (Lecturer)

Great Courses Plus
Dr. Jennifer Paxton is Assistant Director of the University Honors Program and Clinical Assistant Professor of History at The Catholic University of America. She was previously a Professorial Lecturer in History at Georgetown University, where she taught for more than a decade. The holder of a doctorate in history from Harvard University, where she has also taught and earned a Certificate of Distinction, Professor Paxton is both a widely published award-winning writer and a highly regarded scholar, earning both a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities and a Frank Knox Memorial Traveling Fellowship. She lectures regularly on medieval history at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia, and has also been invited to speak on British history at the Smithsonian Institution and the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC. Professor Paxton's research focuses on England from the reign of King Alfred to the late 12th century, particularly the intersection between the authority of church and state and the representation of the past in historical texts, especially those produced by religious communities. She is currently completing a book, Chronicle and Community in Twelfth Century England, that will be published by Oxford University Press. It examines how monastic historians shaped their narratives to project present polemical concerns onto the past.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Medieval, British Literature, Medieval History, Education

Audible Audio

Published January 10, 2022

About the author

Dr. Jennifer Paxton is Professorial Lecturer in History at Georgetown University, where she has taught for more than a decade, and Visiting Assistant Professor of History at The Catholic University of America. The holder of a doctorate in history from Harvard University, where she has also taught and earned a Certificate of Distinction, Professor Paxton is both a widely published award-winning writer and a highly regarded scholar, earning both a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities and a Frank Knox Memorial Traveling Fellowship. She lectures regularly on medieval history at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia, and has also been invited to speak on British history at the Smithsonian Institution and the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC. Professor Paxton’s research focuses on England from the reign of King Alfred to the late 12th century, particularly the intersection between the authority of church and state and the representation of the past in historical texts, especially those produced by religious communities. She is currently completing a book, Chronicle and Community in Twelfth Century England, that will be published by Oxford University Press. It examines how monastic historians shaped their narratives to project present polemical concerns onto the past.

Jennifer is the daughter of well-known folk singer Tom Paxton.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The PDF that accompanies the audiobook is fantastic. At almost 300 pages, it is very helpful.

[Yaaresse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fan-damn-tastic.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done overview of this time period. There were still some new-to-me names from this era. Prof. Paxton is an excellent teacher. This is another lecture series I will come back to again and again.

[Edward Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatively quick listen as I biked around Boston - I really appreciated the pacing and detail of this examination of Anglo Saxon history in the British Isles. A bit technical, especially when discussing the excavations around Sutton Hoo, but essential to being able to make sense of a period with so little committed to writing.

[Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great listen for anyone interested in the history of the Dark Ages in the UK, all the way from the end of Roman Britain to 1066.

Split into 30 minute segments the audiobook is easy to digest and listen to in small segments.

Highly recommend for any history fans :)

[Robert Sale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this audiobook if you have an interest in this period of British history. There were some chapters I found less interesting in themselves (about Anglo Saxon art, for example) but most I did find interesting and together they provided a rich picture of the history and culture of these people in this time. Jennifer Paxton, the writer and narrator, was excellent. I've already downloaded another by her.

[Linda_G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of a lengthy and complex period of English - Norman - Saxon - Viking ( etc.) history where the action takes place almost exclusively in what is now the British Isles.

The course lecturer Jennifer Paxton is most excellent. She obviously knows her subject well. She tells these convoluted stories in a comprehensible and enjoyable delivery.

I will be checking out her other Great Courses offerings.

[Francis X DuFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative lesson on how England became England after the Roman Empire collapsed. Beginning with populating of England by the Angles and the Saxons, the island went through a variety of occupations by the peoples of northwestern Europe and Scandinavia. Each group of invaders left their mark on the evolving nation, most notably the Vikings. The island was finally united under the invasion of William of Normandy, leading to its eventual role as a superpower.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. The presenter is excellent at citing source material and directing to future reading. She does rely on euphemisms a bit more than I’m comfortable with, “unfortunate” for “tragic”, etc. This could be an artifact of academic writing, which is understandable, but it is particularly noticeable throughout. Overall, an excellent survey.

[Gary Brumagin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This started a bit dry but got more interesting as time went on. But then again, other examinations of Anglo-Saxon history have been the same for me. Perhaps it's the time period with the vast number of names and places that are so unfamiliar to me. By the end, I looked up other classes by this author and added them to my read list.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of an important phase in English history. The lecturer is clear and competent and her explanations are insightful and informative. I learned a lot about this period from these lectures.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine course about the Anglo-Saxons and the early years of English history. It does overlap with her other courses on English history making it a bit of an odd fit if you are trying to take all the English history courses in order.

[Nicholas Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly enjoyable overview of the period, well sourced, my only complaint would be it was too short!

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This got a little dry and all the names were so similar it was hard to follow.

[Yoly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of Anglo-Saxon England's history.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, wide-ranging and in-depth.

[Max P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant structure and comprehensive. So many Scandis made their way to England - Angles, northern Saxons, Danes, Norsemen

[Nick Heim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite historical topic but the presenter was awesome.

[Stèf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and enjoyable.

[Hunter Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic lecture series! Highly recommend. Professor Paxton is engaging, informative and makes crazily complex issues easy to understand. Absolutely fantastic!