"Written by our leading authority on Early Medieval Warfare this sweeping synthesis cuts through all the fantasy Arthuriana to the chaotic reality of the tumultuous years after the end of Roman Britain. With a fresh and incisive look at all the key sources, and a masterly and imaginative use of the archaeological evidence, Guy Halsall offers nothing less than a rethinking of what happened at the time of the Anglo-Saxon migrations. Readable, authoritative, and witty, this is an ambitious and wide ranging synthesis which will appeal to all who are interested in the history behind one of the world's greatest collections of myths and stories, vividly recreating the fractured world out of which medieval Britain emerged. And while some may regret the loss of the Hollywood Arthur, Halsall shows us that behind that image is a reality which is no less fascinating."--Michael Wood, historian, broadcaster, and author of
In Search of the Dark Ages"An excellent book."--
McClatchys Newspapers
"Halsall's is a very good book aimed at the general public, but it is also a very original and thought-provoking book for specialists of the period, both historians and archaeologists...It is refreshing to see a distinguished historian take the time to explain in simple and suggestive terms (sometimes even picturesque) some quite difficult concepts and arguments: Halsall does have a talent for it, using charts, diagrams, maps, and chronologies that make the book a very friendly object to its reader...[H]is argument is a cogent and well-put one, delivered in clear and clever language, without jargon, and one should definitely read it..."--
Speculum