Download or read book The Anglo Saxons at War 800 1066 written by Paul Hill and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2012-07-19 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The historian and archeologist presents a vivid and comprehensive account of warfare in early Medieval England. In this compelling new study, Paull Hill reveals what documentary records and the growing body of archaeological evidence can tell us about war and combat in the age of the great Anglo-Saxon kings. The violent centuries before the Norman Conquest come to life in this detailed account of how and why the Anglo-Saxons fought, how their warriors were armed and trained, how their armies were organized, and much more. The role of combat in Anglo-Saxon society is explored, from the parts played by the king and the noblemen to the means by which the men of the fyrd were summoned to fight in times of danger. Land and naval warfare are both explored in depth. Hill also covers the politics and diplomacy of warfare, the conduct of negotiations, the taking of hostages, the use of treachery, and the controversial subject of the use of cavalry. The weapons and armor of the Anglo-Saxons are described, including the spears, scramsaxes, axes, bows, swords, helmets, shields and mail that were employed in the close-quarter fighting of the day. Drawing on this wealth of information, Hill presents a vivid recreation of the actual experience of fighting in the campaigns against the Danes; the battles of Ashdown, Maldon and Stamford Bridge; and the sieges at Reading and Rochester.
Download or read book The Anglo Saxons written by Marc Morris and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sweeping and original history of the Anglo-Saxons by national bestselling author Marc Morris. Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Grand cities and luxurious villas were deserted and left to crumble, and civil society collapsed into chaos. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and established themselves as its new masters. The Anglo-Saxons traces the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries. It explains how their earliest rulers fought relentlessly against each other for glory and supremacy, and then were almost destroyed by the onslaught of the vikings. It explores how they abandoned their old gods for Christianity, established hundreds of churches and created dazzlingly intricate works of art. It charts the revival of towns and trade, and the origins of a familiar landscape of shires, boroughs and bishoprics. It is a tale of famous figures like King Offa, Alfred the Great and Edward the Confessor, but also features a host of lesser known characters - ambitious queens, revolutionary saints, intolerant monks and grasping nobles. Through their remarkable careers we see how a new society, a new culture and a single unified nation came into being. Drawing on a vast range of original evidence - chronicles, letters, archaeology and artefacts - renowned historian Marc Morris illuminates a period of history that is only dimly understood, separates the truth from the legend, and tells the extraordinary story of how the foundations of England were laid.
Download or read book The Kingdom of the Anglo Saxons written by Paul Hill and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-04-06 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This ninth century history of Alfred the Great’s leadership is “a work of extraordinary scholarship that reads with all the narrative style of a novel” (Midwest Book Review). In this compelling military and political history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Paul Hill explores England’s birth amidst the devastation and fury of the Danish invasions of the ninth century. Alfred the Great, youngest son of King Æthelwulf, took control of the last surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom, bringing Wessex and the “English” parts of Mercia together into a new “Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons.” This is a story of betrayal and of vengeance, of turncoat oath-breakers and loyal commanders, of battles fought and won against the odds. But above all, this is the story of how England came into being. Warfare in Alfred’s England changed from attritional set-piece battles to a grander strategic concern. This is explored, demonstrating how defense-in-depth fortification networks were built across the resurgent kingdom in the wake of Alfred’s victory at Edington in 878. The arrival of new Danish armies into England in the 890s would lead to campaigns quite unlike those of the previous generation. This is a human, as well as a military story: how a king demonstrated the importance of his right to rule. Alfred sought to secure the succession on his son Edward, who led his own forces as a young man in the 890s. But not everybody was happy in Alfred’s England. Despite the ever-present threat from the Danes, the greatest challenge facing Alfred arose from his own kin, centered deep in the heart of ancient Wessex. Alfred knew his was not the only branch of the family who claimed a right to rule.
Download or read book Anglo Saxon Thegn AD 449 1066 written by Mark Harrison and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 1993-11-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The collapse of Roman rule in Britain was not so much a sudden catastrophe as a long and drawn-out decline. The 'Celtic' Britons retreated gradually to the highland areas of Wales, Cornwall and the south-west of Scotland. Control of the fertile eastern lowlands was lost to warriors of Germanic origin who migrated from the Continent. These Germanic conquerors have become known to history as the 'Anglo-Saxons'. They were to dominate the lowland zone of Britain until their final defeat at Hastings in 1066. This title gives an insight into the everyday life, equipment, dress, battle tactics and life on campaign of the typical Anglo-Saxon warrior of this period – the thegn.
Download or read book Armies of Anglo Saxon England 410 1066 written by Gabriele Esposito and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-12-02 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the early 5th century, Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea in increasing numbers and began settling among the ruins of the former Roman province of Britannia. This led to centuries of warfare as these 'Anglo-Saxons' carved new, independent kingdoms at the point of the sword, fighting the native Britons and each other. From the late eighth century they also had to face the threat of the Vikings, at first as opportunistic raiders but increasingly bent on conquest. The last Viking invasion was defeated by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge but he was defeated by the Normans in that same fatal year of 1066, ending the Anglo-Saxon Age. Gabriele Esposito gives an overview of Anglo-Saxon military history, narrating the great campaigns, such as those of Alfred the Great of Wessex and Harold Godwinson. He discusses in detail the composition of Anglo-Saxon forces, their tactics, weapons and equipment, detailing developments across the period. The informative, accessible text is supported by dozens of color images showing replica Saxon war gear in use.
Download or read book The English Warrior from Earliest Times to 1066 written by Stephen Pollington and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covers all aspects of battlecraft for the period.
Download or read book Armies of Anglo Saxon England 410 1066 written by Gabriele Esposito and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-12-02 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the early 5th century, Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea in increasing numbers and began settling among the ruins of the former Roman province of Britannia. This led to centuries of warfare as these 'Anglo-Saxons' carved new, independent kingdoms at the point of the sword, fighting the native Britons and each other. From the late eighth century they also had to face the threat of the Vikings, at first as opportunistic raiders but increasingly bent on conquest. The last Viking invasion was defeated by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge but he was defeated by the Normans in that same fatal year of 1066, ending the Anglo-Saxon Age. Gabriele Esposito gives an overview of Anglo-Saxon military history, narrating the great campaigns, such as those of Alfred the Great of Wessex and Harold Godwinson. He discusses in detail the composition of Anglo-Saxon forces, their tactics, weapons and equipment, detailing developments across the period. The informative, accessible text is supported by dozens of color images showing replica Saxon war gear in use.
Download or read book The Fortress Kingdom written by Paul Hill and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-10-21 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this the second part of his four-volume military and political history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Paul Hill follows the careers of Æthelflæd, Alfred the Great’s eldest daughter, and Edward the Elder, Alfred’s eldest son, as they campaigned to expand their rule after Alfred’s death. They faced, as Alfred had done, the full force of Danish hostility during the early years of the tenth century, a period of unrelenting turbulence and open warfare. But through their military strength, in particular their strategy of fortress building, they retained their hold on the kingdom and conquered lands which had been under Danish lords for generations. Æthelflæd’s forces captured Derby and Leicester by both force and diplomacy. Edward’s power was always immense. How each of them used forts (burhs) to hold territory, is explored. Fortifications across central England became key. These included Bridgnorth, Tamworth, Stafford, Warwick, Chirbury and Runcorn (Æthelflæd) and also Hertford, Witham, Buckingham, Bedford and Maldon (Edward), to name a few. Paul Hill’s absorbing narrative incorporates the latest theories and evidence for the military organization and capabilities of the Anglo-Saxons and their Danish adversaries. His book gives the reader a detailed and dramatic insight into a very sophisticated Anglo-Saxon kingdom.
Download or read book The Anglo Saxons written by Paul Hill and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What happened to the reputation of the Anglo-Saxons after the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066? How were they portrayed by historians, politicians and artists over the centuries? Not long after the Norman invasion Williams of Malmesbury viewed it as an unmitigated disaster, while Geoffrey of Monmouth cast the Anglo-Saxons as cruel invaders and resurrected the old Arthurian myths. Later, Elizabethan historians saved Anglo-Saxon manuscripts for posterity and the English Civil War saw the overtly political use of a sense of Anglo-Saxonism. This was followed by an earnest attempt by scholars to understand the Old English language. It was an era which saw the rise of the first real histories of England, with mixed results for the Anglo-Saxons. The notions of Germanism and an Anglo-Saxon 'race' in both England and America preceded the Victorian age where politics, art and culture began to reflect gratitude towards the Anglo-Saxons. In conclusion the author asks how the Anglo-Saxons are viewed by the modern English people. Book jacket.
Download or read book A Wargamer s Guide to 1066 and the Norman Conquest written by Daniel Mersey and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-03-30 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is one of the first titles in an exciting new series of guides for wargamers. Taking one of the most pivotal and famous episodes in British military history, it gives a wargamers perspective of the dramatic events of 1066 and the Norman conquest up to around 1070, and advice on how to recreate these on the gaming table. Advice is given on factors to consider when choosing an appropriate set of commercially available rules, or devising your own, to best suit the scale and style of battle you want and capture the flavor of the period. The relevant ranges of figures and terrain pieces and buildings are also reviewed. Analysis of the forces involved, organization, tactics and strategies will help with building your armies and there are interesting scenarios included. Whether this is a new period for you, or you are looking to refresh your existing interest in the period, this handy guide is sure to hold much if interest for you.
Download or read book 800 1066 written by Johann Martin Lappenberg and published by . This book was released on 1881 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Edward the Elder written by Michael John Key and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2019-03-15 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first biography of Alfred the Great's son, the forgotten king who was crucial to uniting England.
Download or read book In Search of the Dark Ages written by Michael Wood and published by Random House. This book was released on 2015-05-14 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Updated with the latest archaeological research new chapters on the most influential yet widely unrecognised people of the British isles, In Search of the Dark Ages illuminates the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066. In this new edition, Michael Wood vividly conjures some of the most important people in British history such as Hadrian, a Libyan refugee from the Arab conquests and arguably the most important person of African origin in British history, to Queen Boadicea, the leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans. Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England: Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Reflecting the latest historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised and updated edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.
Download or read book War and Violence in the Anglo Saxon World written by Heinrich Harke and published by . This book was released on 2004-04 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this investigation of warfare and society in the Anglo-Saxon world, Heinrich Harke reconsiders the historical evidence and offers a fresh interpretation of the role of warriors and their way of life during the early medieval period. He puts the subject into a broad western and North European context and he draws on archaeological and documentary records of warfare to give graphic, thought-provoking insights into the Anglo-Saxon world in the centuries after the collapse of the Roman empire. His wide-ranging, illustrated account of this extraordinary, often misunderstood era should be of keen interest to everyone who is intrigued by ancient warfare, by the place of the warrior in society and by the Anglo-Saxons in particular.
Download or read book The Early Anglo Saxon Kings written by Tony Sullivan and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2023-03-09 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book takes a new look at the archaeological and literary evidence and focuses on the fragmenting Diocese, provincial and civitas structures of post-Roman Britain. It places events in the context of increased Germanic immigration alongside evidence for significant continuation of population and land use. Using evidence from fifth century Gaul it demonstrates dynamic changes to cultural identities both within and across various groups. Covering the migration period it describes the foundation stories of Hengest and Horsa in Kent, Cerdic and Cynric, first kings of the West Saxons and Ælle founder of the kingdom of the South Saxons. Ælle is the first king Bede describes as holding imperium and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle calls Bretwalda. Covering the figures of Ceawlin, Æthelberht and Rædwald it ends with the death of Penda, the last great pagan king. As life under Roman authority faded into history we see the emergence of a ‘warband’ culture and the emergence of petty kingdoms. The mead hall replaced crumbling villas and towns as the center of social life. These halls rang with the poems of bards and the stories of great warriors and battles. Arthur and Urien of Rheged. The famous Mons Badonicus and the doomed charge of the Gododdin at Catraeth. A chapter on weapons, armor, warfare and accounts of contemporary battles will help paint a picture of dark age warfare. From the arrival of Saxon mercenaries in the fifth century to the death of Penda, the last pagan king, at Winwaed in 655.
Download or read book The House of Godwin written by Michael John Key and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2022-03-15 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most powerful dynasty behind the throne of Anglo-Saxon England, shedding new light on events such as the Battle of Hastings.
Download or read book The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great written by Paul Hill and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2008-09-18 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the spring of 878 at the Battle of Edington the tide of English history turned. Alfred's decisive defeat of Guthrum the Dane freed much of the south and west of England from Danish control and brought to a halt Guthrum's assault on Alfred's Wessex. The battle was the culmination of a long period of preparation by Alfred in the wilderness - a victory snatched from the jaws of catastrophic defeat. As such, this momentous turning point around which an entire nation's future pivoted, has given rise to legends and misconceptions that persist to the present day. Paul Hill, in this stimulating and meticulously researched study, brings together the evidence of the medieval chronicles and the latest historical and archaeological research to follow the struggle as it swung across southern England in the ninth century. He dispels the myths that have grown up around this critical period in English history, and he looks at Alfred's war against the Vikings with modern eyes.
