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Cover Image of The birth of the Anglo-Saxons
  • Non-fiction
  • 2025
  • First Pegasus Books cloth edition.

The birth of the Anglo-Saxons

three kings and a history of Britain at the dawn of the Viking age

Max Adams, (1961-)

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"For too long, the eighth century has been a neglected era in British history: a shadow land between the death of Saint Bede and the triumphs of King Alfred and the eventual unification of England. But before the victories of King Alfred against the Viking invaders, the kingdom of Mercia-spread across a broad swathe of central England-was the reigning power that exercised central political authority for the first time since the Roman Empire. This authority was used to construct trading networks and markets; to develop strong economic, cultural, and political links with the Continent; and to lay the foundations for a system of defense that would be invigorated and reinvented by Alfred at the end of the ninth century. ... In this ... history of early medieval Britain, Max Adams reconnects the worlds ofthe three kings-Æthelbald, Offa, and Alfred-in [a] ... study of the landscape, society, and politics of a fascinating century of change"-

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Availability Label Location Shelfmark Availability Reservations
On loan until: 20/May/25 Cataraqui Centre Non 942.01 Ada
On loan until: 20/May/25
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Title Statement The birth of the Anglo-Saxons: three kings and a history of Britain at the dawn of the Viking age / Max Adams.
Author Adams, Max, 1961-
Publication New York: Pegasus Books,2025.
Edition First Pegasus Books cloth edition.
Extent of Item xiii, 448 pages
ISBN 9781639368310 (hardcover)
Other Number pr07776276
General Notes Maps on endpapers.
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary "For too long, the eighth century has been a neglected era in British history: a shadow land between the death of Saint Bede and the triumphs of King Alfred and the eventual unification of England. But before the victories of King Alfred against the Viking invaders, the kingdom of Mercia-spread across a broad swathe of central England-was the reigning power that exercised central political authority for the first time since the Roman Empire. This authority was used to construct trading networks and markets; to develop strong economic, cultural, and political links with the Continent; and to lay the foundations for a system of defense that would be invigorated and reinvented by Alfred at the end of the ninth century. ... In this ... history of early medieval Britain, Max Adams reconnects the worlds ofthe three kings-Æthelbald, Offa, and Alfred-in [a] ... study of the landscape, society, and politics of a fascinating century of change"-
Subjects & Genres
By Topic Anglo-Saxons--England--Mercia
By Name Æthelbald,-757
Alfred,849-899
Offa,-796
By Location England--Civilization--To 1066
Great Britain--History--Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066
Mercia (Kingdom)
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