The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #018

by John Blair

John Blair's Very Short Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Age covers the emergence of the earliest English settlements to the Norman victory in 1066. This book is a brief introduction to the political, social, religious, and cultural history of Anglo-Saxon England and it is the most comprehensive and authoritative short guide to the Anglo-Saxon age available.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History, Medieval, Ancient History, British Literature, Archaeology

90 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

William John Blair, FSA, FBA is a British historian, archaeologist, and academic, who specialises in Anglo-Saxon England. He is Professor of Medieval History and Archaeology at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford. (Source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Jean Menzies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does contain a lot of interesting information, but it sorely misunderstood the concept of ‘introduction’.

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a brief introduction to the political, social, religious, and cultural history of an age when so many basic aspects of modern England were formed ranging from government institutions to the landscape and language.

Little is known of England before the 540s as the only substantial work from the time is 'The Ruin of Britain' written by Gildas a rant against the evils of the day. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles - a summary of events in the southern kingdoms of England - only become reliable after 570.

The written tradition was started by the Venerable Bede of Jarrow monastery, who completed his masterpiece Ecclesiastical History of the English People in 731.

The book starts with post-Roman Britain and the shadowy figure of 'King Arthur' and continues with Raedwald (probably buried at Sutton Hoo), Penda of Mercia, the Synod of Whitby, Offa of Mercia, The Danish Invasion, Alfred, Athelstan, Cnut and finally the lead up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest, though it has to be said the Normans used a lot of Anglo-Saxon ideas and institutions (including the outstanding land records) during their reign.

There is an extensive Further Reading list, should the reader need to find out more about a particular topic.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Anglo-Saxon era in Britain. It is indeed very short, but given the relative paucity of data (esp. for the earliest years of the period) that’s not surprising. It covers just about everything you need in an overview and gives you plenty of sources for further study. I don’t see a need to go over the contents of each section and give the history of the period in precis in this review (since this is exactly what the book itself does) so I will restrict myself to a few items I found interesting in my read through: I was surprised to see how relatively short the Anglo-Saxon period really was (between 550 and 600 years depending on how you date it) given the huge impact it had on English/British culture. Even with this span of several centuries we do not have anything near a united Anglo-Saxon nation until the rise of Wessex in the ninth century and the reign of Alfred the Great (the only English king to earn that moniker and the first who could truly be called ‘the King of the English’ in any meaningful way). Even then we have a period of 15-20 years when the King of England was a Danish invader. Despite this seemingly tentative rise to unified power and wobbly hold on it by the Anglo-Saxons there were many seminal and lasting political and economic developments during the Anglo-Saxon period in regards to infrastructure and custom that lived on long past the Norman Conquest and into the modern era. Finally the irony of the ‘germanic’ invaders becoming the settled defenders against incursions of what could be considered their own kin in later generations was not lost on me.

[Shawn Mooney (Shawn Breathes Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these Very Short Introductions have really sucked. This one didn't, but neither was it awesome. I learned quite a bit, though, in preparation for reading Aitcheson's novel The Harrowing, which is set in the early days after the Norman conquest.

[Peter Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Anglo-Saxon Age – a very short introduction by John Blair, 2000, 85 pages all in

Never mind the title and the size, check out the author. John Blair is consistently excellent. If you've not read his Anglo-Saxon Oxfordshire, then buy a copy. It's FAR more than just a local history of people waiting for Morse to explain who is responsible for all of the murders there.

This book is small, but perfectly formed and contains a heck of a lot of good information. A few bits are abbreviated for conciseness, but Blair never loses the main thrust of developments in this editing down of 600 years of history. It doesn't ever become a bulked out timeline of events, either. Although it is linear, Blair has added plenty of thematic sub-headings that describe developments in religion, institutions, the economy and administration (he's a big admirer of this), etc. These give this book a real feel of completeness.

There are a few things I'd take issue with, but not many. Blair follows Fox in seeing Offa's dyke as a continuous barrier, whereas later archaeological investigations have shown significant gaps and his claim that Alfred avoided dynastic feuds through his provision for the succession can only be called a partial success at best. There's a typo on page 46 and Edmund should read as Edward accepting the 'submission' of Ragnald.

This is a brilliant book for those new to Anglo-Saxon England, but it's also one worth reading by those who are more experienced in the period.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not all of these VSI books are good, but this one absolutely is, although I think that my reading of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series and certainly Duckett's Alfred book made it much more accessible. Hah. I always thought that beginning with engrossing historical fiction was the best introduction. Here, it has made an "introduction" easier reading. Now I think I'm in good shape to start on Fisher's book and several others that I have.

This indeed does give a good overview, and has interesting illustrations as well. Recommended for those interested in the period, although I also recommend Cornwell's stuff. Clearly, Cornwell did his homework.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far too detailed without proper background introduction for an uninitiated audience, especially from outside the UK. Reads more like a terse historical summary for the existing expert.

[Tiago Lima · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Blair's piece of work is, as the title hints, a quite short introduction on England/Wales history between 5th and 11th centuries. Far from being an easy task, the lack of historical data makes any attempt to write down this narrative quite toilsome, and, sometimes, even impossible. Nevertheless, the author does not only present an enlightening summary on those less, or even unattested years, but points out clearly what we do know and what we do not know, based on historical sources and archaeological data.
Indeed, the book does not aim to provide a comprehensive narrative on those six centuries of history, rather, limits itself to a shallow introduction of the reader on the subject. In doing so, the author just avoids going deeper on almost every topic, aside Viking invasions and Wessex history in 9th-10th centuries.
Of course, one trying to find a more thorough analysis should not glance over a self-entitled very short introduction.

[stionely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very concise and helpful, this book kept to a thorough description of the changes England underwent between the end of the Roman era and the Conquest. Despite having very little knowledge on the subject except about the Scandinavian settlements and the Viking raids until the battle of Hastings, this book paints a picture of the cultural, political, economic and religious aspects of Anglo Saxon Britain. It's a great tool to understand what led to the Conquest and how certain traditions live on to this day. It was short enough to not get bored and overall it felt entertaining!!

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. On the whole easy to follow (though I did have to look up a few things) and reflected the complexity of Anglo-Saxon society without becoming too dense. 

My tutor requested I read this for my Old English paper and record the bits that surprised me/challenged my perceptions. I think my main takeaway was just how influential the Anglo-Saxons were to modern England. Previously, I was under the impression that the Norman Conquest basically obliterated all that came before it (I blame Paul Kingsnorth's 'The Wake', which is still a fantastic read). 

[Matthew Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introduction to the era, with enough information to give a broad scope of the Anglo-Saxon age while leaving room - and to some extent, encouragement - for further reading. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for an introduction to the history.

[Michael F]

Excellent little survey of a fascinating period.

[Luci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction. I needed something a little more basic, but it does get the job done.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

These Very Short Introduction books are never quite as introductory as you might expect, but there was plenty of interest in this one, even if parts went over my head.

[Brian Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Very Short Introduction, providing a general overview of Anglo-Saxon Britain. While it touched on a lot of different areas and figures, it didn't get bogged down with any single area or character - in other words, Wessex and Alfred, as some others might do. The result was a decent general tour with some good social history.

[Michael Huang · Rating 3 out of 5]

• Britain was a melting pot between 300 and 700 CE. Much of its indigenous population were Brittonic (“Celtic”). The diversity of the subsquent invaders made early medieval British culture.
• Germanic settlers came as mercenaries for Rome probably c. 430 CE. They were from 3 tribes (Saxon, Angles, and jutes) but the population is not clearly differentiated. Their religion is Norse. The Roman Britons escaped west and to Britany. Roman culture was obliterated.
• In 7th c. kings gained lots of power and wealth as can be seen in buried treasure such as at Sutton Hoo.
• Starting in 590, the kings and courts converted swiftly to Christianity. Kings helped church grow and benefited in return. Urban centers started as ministers and lay settlement.
• After 2 centuries of no foreign attack, Viking invasions started c. 789. By 835, it became almost yearly. In 865, great Danish armies wiped out a few kings. Alfred, perhaps the greatest Anglo-Saxon king defended successfully over time and established peace treaty with the Danes controlling the west and Anglo-Saxon Wessex and Mercia. Later Anglo-Saxon kings united more land and even took back land from the Dane in the west. They also started the shire system.
• Then the Danish king Bluetooth raised a large army (C. 970) and took over England and carved it into 4 different earldoms.
By 1065, Norman conquest finished off Alfred’s dynasty that had survived the Danes. But the Anglo-Saxon institutions and culture survived. They are the English system now.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historian John Blair wrote The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction. I read the edition that was published in 2000. The book has illustrations and maps. The book has a timeline. The book has an index. The book has a section entitled “further reading” (Blair 76-80). Blair views the Anglo-Saxon era as key to understanding English history. Blair writes, “Most fundamentally, it was between 600 CE and 1100 CE that English towns, villages, the road system, and much of the distinctive character of the countryside, took shape” (Blair 74). Blair writes that the sheriff's office was created during the Age of Anglo-Saxon (Blair 62-63). The sheriff's office plays a role in Brother Cadfael’s books by Edith Peters, which are later in the Medieval British era. Reading Blair’s book with the archaeologist Julian Richards’ book on the Vikings was insightful. Blair’s and Richards’ books have slightly different understandings of how the Anglo-Saxons interacted with Vikings in the British Isles. This could be explained by how historians and archeologists view historical evidence. I read the book on my Kindle. 600 CE and 1100 CE was the Anglo-Saxon era of English history. The book mentions Anglo-Saxon literature such as Beowulf (Blair 19). The book provided some good short context for the epic of Beowulf. The book illustrates the history and culture of Anglo-Saxon England. I learned a significant amount from this book. Blair’s book was a thoughtful introduction to the Anglo-Saxon era.
Works Cited:
Ellis, Peters. 1994. One corpse too many. New York: Mysterious Press.
Roberts, Julian D. 2018. The Vikings: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

[Carl Buckfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title suggests concise and too the point. This is the third history VSI I read. The other two were both by Barry Cunliffe. This is half the length of Cunliffe's books and it is easy to see why. Cunliffe bogs his heavily repetitive writing down with stressing how reliable certain sources are to basically tell you very little concrete facts about the topic (or as the case of Druids VSI, nothing at all). This is quite a fast pace and dense book as covers a lot of history in a short period of time. Rapid jumping from key event to key events linearly.

[Bea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even for an introduction, I felt this was often too laconic to the point of confusion. To cover a lot of ground in a very short amount of time, names were sometimes thrown in with no explanation of who they were. While I understand the paucity of sources for this period of history and the lack of clear answers, the actual society of the Anglo-Saxons, particularly the existence of women - which, reading this book, you would think hardly existed - was not well-developed. A shame, but at least I got the broad spread of the period from this.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the shortest of this series of books I have read thus far. I still don't hold with this idea that the Angles, Jutes and Saxons constituted the ancestors of the English. The English people were created by the ongoing invasions that permeated the centuries of the British Isles. No one invasion made the English, in fact even now they continue to evolve as other nations do by the people that end up on their shores.

[George Fowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a quick read that forgot I had put it in my good reads. Quick to read, took me a lot longer to make notes since there was a lot of useful information. Does what it says on the tin. Unavoidablely info dumpy and will assume you remember all the names even when multiple people have the same one.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative.

I wish that there had been more in the book covering the 5th and 6th centuries and the Seven Kingdoms of the Heptarchy, but I understand source material is a real limiting factor here.

The Anglo-Saxons left behind such a marvelous legacy in terms of the burghs and the judicial system and it hurts that the Normans built upon it and made it their own.

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for some quick information and this is indeed a quick book. It didn't cover what I was hoping that it would (Google mislead me on a recommendation!) but it did teach me a few things all the same. I'm giving it three stars because it was on the dry side of things for such exciting history. Still, it was brief (which is something to be grateful for sometimes).

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few of these Very Short Oxford Introductions that are a tad long, but not this one. This one is the 'extremely' short introduction. But it is quite good and for some its extreme brevity is a bonus. I certainly learnt a few things.

Liked it.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine addition to the Very Short Introduction series -- this little book does what other books two- or three-times as long do, at least in essence. Having read this, one is definitely ready for more detailed treatments of the Anglo-Saxons.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting introduction into the Anglo-Saxon age. Even though the book is short it gives a detailed explanation of this period of history from start to finish: perfect for people wanting to learn more.

I preffered the last few chapters to the beginning, hence the four stars.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the other books in this series, it is very short, but packs a lot of basic information. It's worth looking more in-depth into many of the events and people mentioned, though this book is a good starting base and accomplishes what it sets out to do!

[Freddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin.

Interesting to see the influence Anglo-Saxons had on our society today - mad that the county system in England set up in the 900s didn’t change until 1974, and that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are named after Norse gods.

[Niamh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to the period! This book filled in all the gaps in my knowledge regarding political and social structure between the 6th Century and the Noman Conquest. Excellent if you are about to embark on a course in the subject of just for general interest.

[Dominic Conquest · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. This is an excellent summary of Anglo-Saxon England, for 80 odd pages tells you everything you need to know.

2. What is wrong with me, this is the first book I've managed to finish since the end of June 😭