A cultural exploration of the Dark Age landscapes of Britain that
poses a significant question: Is the modern world simply the realization
of our ancient past?
The five centuries between the end of Roman Britain and the death of
Alfred the Great have left few voices save a handful of chroniclers, but
Britain's "Dark Ages" can still be explored through their material
remnants: architecture, books, metalwork, and, above all, landscapes.
Max Adams explores Britain's lost early medieval past by walking its
paths and exploring its lasting imprint on valley, hill, and field. From
York to Whitby, from London to Sutton Hoo, from Edinburgh to Anglesey,
and from Hadrian's Wall to Loch Tay, each of his ten walking narratives
form free-standing chapters as well as parts of a wider portrait of a
Britain of fort and fyrd, crypt and crannog, church and causeway, holy
well and memorial stone.
Part travelogue, part expert reconstruction, In the Land of Giants
offers a beautifully written insight into the lives of peasants, drengs,
ceorls, thanes, monks, knights, and kings during an enigmatic but richly
exciting period of Britain's history.