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Anglo-Saxon, John Blair, Medieval Book Club, Oxford Press, The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction
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.
This is the first book to read for our 2017 Medieval Book Club, and I cannot wait to discuss this one with you! I was first interested in the price tag, being so cheap, and once it arrived I understood why: the text itself is covered in about 75 pages, and the book is small enough to fit in a pocket. I hope you join me in diving into this text and come back on January 19th to discuss this one with me! Here is the breakdown of chapters:
- The English Settlements
- The Seventh Century
- Christianity and the Monastic Culture
- The Mercian Supremacy
- The Viking Invasions and the Rise of the House of Wessex
- Aethelred and Cnut: The Decline of the English Monarchy
- The End of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom
There should be a lot of history covered in the span of these pages, and it isn’t too late to nab yourself a copy in time to join in on the discussion. I’m sure I will be reflecting back and saying this was a perfect entry point to this new Book Club!
Get your copy on Amazon.
Check out the master list of books/poems we’ll be reading and discussing this year.
Author David Wiley 