The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction

Description

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. Contents List of Illustrations List of Maps Introduction 1 The English Settlements A Multi-Ethnic Community Kinship and Lordship Religion Before c.600 British Survival The Fading of Roman Britain 2 The Seventh Century Kings and Kingdoms Aristocratic Life Local Government and Society 3 Christianity and the Monastic Culture Conversions Church Organization The Monasteries Literacy and Legislation Monastic Towns 4 The Mercian Supremacy Æthelbald and Offa Fortifications Trade and Emporia The Church 5 The Viking Invasions and the Rise of the House of Wessex Viking Attack The Invasion of the 860s Alfred Damage and Repair The Royal House of England National Kingship and Local Government The Monastic Reform 6 Æthelred and Cnut: The Decline of the English Monarchy Æthelred Cnut 7 Chapter 7 The End of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom The Institutions of Government Changes in Society The Problem of the Succession The Norman Conquest and After Further Reading Chronology Index