Explore the early history of the English nation through a careful, evidence‑based survey.
This scholarly work traces how ethnology, language, tradition, religion, and antiquities illuminate England’s beginnings, from the sixth century onward, while noting the limits of our knowledge for the earliest period.
In clear, reasoned chapters, the book explains how later records help reconstruct kingdoms, borders, and political divisions. It discusses Kent, Sussex, Essex, and Wessex, and how their boundaries may have shifted over time. It also presents a broader view of the migrations that shaped continental Europe and the transfer of ideas and people across regions, with attention to both recorded history and the gaps that remain.
What you’ll experience
- An overview of early English history using multiple branches of ethnology and archaeology.
- A close look at the sources and the limits of evidence for the sixth century.
- A framing of the national migrations that influenced language, culture, and political life.
- A structured, map‑ and chapter‑driven approach to early kingdoms and their relationships.
Ideal for readers of historical scholarship, early England, and cultural history, who want a grounded account that connects tight details to broader patterns. This edition presents the material in a accessible, lecture‑worthy format suitable for study or relaxed reading alike.
In this 1907 work, Chadwick re-examines the early history of the English nation from a new perspective. By training a philologist, he uses the tools of ethnology, history, tradition, language, customs, religion and archaeology, to understand how the various Germanic tribes established themselves in Britain, founding new kingdoms.