Anglo-Saxon England

by F.M. Stenton and Sir Frank M. Stenton

Book Overview

This classic history covers the period c. 550-1087 and traces the development of English society from the oldest Anglo-Saxon laws, the growth of royal power, and the extension of private lordship to the establishment of feudalism after the Norman Conquest.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192822373
• ISBN13: 9780192822376
• Release Date: May 1989
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 812 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

The Book on the Anglo-Saxons

From the research I have done, this is THE book on the Anglo-Saxons. I have read 18 other books on the Anlgo-Saxons and this book by F. M. Stenton is from which they all derive. They would reference their debt to Stenton in their introductions and declare that their work merely a repackaging, or an extending of this book. This book contains the most knowledge about the Anglo-Saxons, and no other author has yet to approach it's breadth. This is the most complete singular source on the Anglo-Saxons you will find, and does an excellent job incorporating textual and place-name evidence into the narrative. If you are looking for recent impacts of Archaeology on the topic, Stenton did not use them to great extent, and you will have to look elsewhere, specifically in some of the more recent books. All in all, if you want to start reading about Anglo-Saxon history and do not want just a mere survey, this is the book for you.

Important, comprehensive survey

This work is one of the most important studies ever written on this topic. In painstaking detail, Sir Stenton addresses the development and structure of Anglo-Saxon society, political structure, economic structure, religious structure, relationship with the continent, etc. The book is quite readable and packed with information. As others have noted, this is not the best book to start out with however. In particular the lack of maps can make it hard to follow especially if you can't tell Mercia from East Anglia. The book presupposes a reasonable understanding of English geography and political boundaries during the Anglo-Saxon period, so other books are necessary to fill that gap. On the other hand there is simply no other work written which does as good a job in providing a detailed, comprehensive picture of Anglo-Saxon England as this one. Highly recommended.

A scholarly must!

This book is the single best source of information about Anglo-Saxon England. I would only caution that this books is not for the novice historian. Unfamiliarity with the topic will leave you wondering what your reading and completely lost.

The Quintessential study of Anglo-Saxon History

Sir Stenton has composed a masterpiece of a history text in his most famous book. A caveat, however, in that the text itself was written by someone who was a professional historian. As such, the text is as dry as you would expect. It is, perhaps, the most comprehensive text on the subject available to the open market, but while it is very name, date, and place intensive, there is little in the way of anecdotal information that might interest the merely casual reader. For someone who is interest in more an introduction than an indepth analysis, I would recommend The Anglo-Saxons, edited by James Campbell.

Heavy reading for the VERY interested...

This book is filled with factual information, but because Sir Frank Stenton also lends his sagacious opinions the book is both enjoyable and easy to understand. This book is several hundred pages long with tiny print, and so packed with information, that you'll know everything possible about Anglo-Saxon history. Stenton always prefers the probable to the outrageous and does not seem to go with the popular opinions about kings, queens, or events. You must read this, but only if you're really, really interested in the subject. Otherwise, it'll go right over your head.