Anglo-Saxon England

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A classic, scholarly work, showing its age - Rated
First published in 1943, at the height of the Second World War, this is the second volume in 'The Oxford History of England': its author could well have been forgiven if he had taken a less than sanguine view of a process of invasion and settlement by marauding Germanic tribes.

Now in its third edition (published in 1971, three years after Stenton's death), this volume updates the archaeological evidence and analysis. It's a book which still remains an essential reference work for scholars of the period, but it is showing its age and should be used as a learned, but not definitive exploration of the Anglo-Saxon world.

Much of the era, from the departure of the Romans to the arrival of the Normans, is sparse in terms of literary sources or documentary evidence. What written accounts remain are highly partisan.

Stenton survey s the emergence of the Anglo-Saxon, Anglian, and Jute kingdoms and their role in transforming the political landscape of the southern half of the island. He considers the growth of towns and the continuities and discontinuities between Anglo-Saxon and Romano-British worlds.

This is a land being invaded not just by Germanic tribes, but also by the new Christian religion. The warriors fight to establish their fiefdoms, but so too do the churchmen and missionaries - this is a world of sudden death by either sword or schism.

Stenton evades any romantic notion of the triumph of the Anglo-Saxons - he makes clear that this is a world still subject to further invasion. The Vikings come. So too do the Normans. Remember, as Stenton is writing his original work, the Luftwaffe is a daily reminder of how narrow a strip of water keeps the island of Britain from invasion and conquest.

This is an epic piece of scholarship, a classic work. It deals with the turmoil and uncertainty of change - often rapid and bloody, usually slow and almost imperceptible. It is change with few documentary sources or wholly reliable bodies of evidence. By and large Stenton writes for an academic rather than a lay audience. His narrative is highly readable in places, but in others becomes dense with jargon and academic language and allusion. For the casual reader, this is a curate's egg of a volume and it would be better to seek out some of the more accessible accounts of the Anglo-Saxons. For the academic or scholarly reader, Stenton remains a major resource, even if his writings have long lost their freshness. Stenton is a milestone in the writing of history of the period, a work which still has to be consulted, a work which still confers benefits, but a work, nevertheless, of a bygone era.

A thorough and solid but rather dated textbook. - Rated
Acclaimed in its day, this is a reissue of a volume nearly sixty years old from the Oxford History of England series. Compared with the engaging style of popular television historians, it seems ponderous and dated. A work of exhaustive scholarship, it concentrates on political history and pays scant attention to the newer fields of economic, social and archeological research. Nevertheless Mr Stenton gets off to a good start with the Saxon invasions, but during the subsequent chaos his narrative drifts into a catalogue of obscure kings with even obscurer names. (An Anglo-Saxon pronunciation guide would have been helpful and a glossary of unfamiliar terms.)In their profusion these minor characters begin to resemble the heathen gods as " figures which have names but no attributes." We are informed that they are of the Heroic Age but we are not entertained with many anecdotes to shed light on their manners or personalities. Such is the wealth of detail that it is possible to trace one's own local history where one's partiality lends more interest. The author's approach improves when he comes to literature and betrays an evident enthusiasm that inspired me to re-read Beowulf in Seamus Heaney's excellent translation. Likewise the treatment of the progress of Christianity is rich in insight and sympathy. As the 11th Century dawns the pace quickens and,perhaps because of the course of events described, I found the material more accessible.The suspense builds towards the Norman Conquest which makes a satisfying finale to this long text. I do not wish to be overly critical. This is a substantial work of reference and is good value for money at the price and well printed.It may be better suited to the serious student than the general reader such as myself.

Scholarly , but lacking narrative style and colour - Rated
Stenton's work is masterful and scholarly, but lacks narrative style and colour. Stenton's bibliography pays tribute to HODGKIN -"History of the Anglo-Saxons", which, though dated is fun to read, composed in a more popular style and is a wonderful introduction to the early AS period for the general reader.

Stenton is lacking entirely in illustrations - in great contrast to Hodgkin - which is strange seeing both are products of the OUP though separated by 50 years ! By contrast, the campaign maps in HODGSON are colourful extending pages - and must be seen to be believed.

An invaluable research tool - Rated
Don't even think of studying Anglo-Saxon history at any level without consulting this book first. It is, quite simply, thoroughly researched, masterfully put together, easy to read and amazingly helpful. Frank Stenton was more than a historian - he must have been some kind of god!