Richly illustrated, this title describes Anglo-Saxon monarchs,
warlords and their warriors and households in Anglo-Saxon Britain, from
the first post-Roman mercenaries to the Norman Conquest.
In a country fragmented by Roman withdrawal during the 5th century AD,
the employment of Germanic mercenaries by local rulers in Anglo-Saxon
Britain was commonplace. These mercenaries became settlers, forcing
Romano-British communities into Wales and the West Country. Against a
background of spreading Christianity, the struggles of rival British and
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were exploited by the Vikings, but eventually
contained by the Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred of Wessex. His descendants
unified the country during the 10th century, however, subsequent weak
rule saw its 25-year incorporation into a Danish empire before it
finally fell to the Norman invasion of 1066.
Scholars of the early Church have long known that the term 'Dark Ages'
for the 5th to 11th centuries in Britain refers only to a lack of
written sources, and gives a false impression of material culture. The
Anglo-Saxon warrior elite were equipped with magnificent armour,
influenced by the cultures of the late Romans, the Scandinavian Vendel
people, the Frankish Merovingians, Carolingians and Ottonians, and also
the Vikings.
In this volume, co-authors Raffaele D'Amato and Stephen Pollington
access their extended knowledge to paint a vivid picture of the kings
and warlords of the time with the aid of colour illustrations, rare
photos and the latest archaeological research.
