The end of the Roman occupation traditionally marked the beginning of the ‘Dark Ages’ in Britain, but this book goes a long way to dispelling the long-held myth that we have poor visibility of the next few centuries in Britain's history.
The book approaches the history of this period through a geographical approach, by focusing on nine different areas of Britain and trying to reconstruct what these regions and regional powers looked like before the Viking age, and after the end of the Roman occupation of Britain. This makes the narrative far more manageable to negotiate for the average reader, and far more compelling for the more informed audience. The division of chapters leads the reader elegantly to the conclusion that this period was not experienced uniformly across Britain.
The strength of the book comes from the analysis of the material evidence and the relevant written sources, and the author is able to discuss the limitations of the evidence in building a comprehensive understanding of the different cultural identities of the time. The use of archaeological evidence, combined with an examination of the ancient landscape, allows the author to provide an insight into the people and communities of the time.
Even though there are some unanswered questions as to the day-to-day lives of the communities during this period, the book is still a very satisfying read. While this is certainly an interesting book, which deals expertly with parts of the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ in Britain, it belongs far more in a History classroom library, rather than a Latin and Classics one.
Open access
