Friday 3 June 2011

ARCHAEOLOGY FACTUAL REVIEW: Anglo Saxon England - Sally Crawford

Release Date: 01/06/11

SYNOPSIS:

The Anglo-Saxon period has often been dismissed as ‘lost centuries’ or the Dark Ages, but archaeological evidence and later written sources reveal a complex and sophisticated culture that was beginning to move towards urbanisation, establishing market-places to facilitate the trade of local and exotic goods, and developing an organised educational system. In Early Anglo Saxon Britain, Sally Crawford paints a vivid portrait of daily life in the period that saw the Anglo-Saxon invasion and the end of Roman Britain: from the status and demands of occupations to the structures of families, and from the intricacies of feasting to the period’s elaborate and creative entertainments.


REVIEW:

Whilst you tend to head about the rampaging hordes of conquerors throughout the history of the Britain, you rarely hear about how, once the land was captured, the settled down and began the humble life of farming and with little literary evidence to aid the modern researcher they have to rely on the evidence dug up by the archaeologists as well as from educated guesswork based on practical application.

What Sally has done in this title, is bring together the facts that have been established in an easy to comprehend as well as follow manner and clearly demonstrates that what are thought of as the Dark Ages is anything but with modern philosophies and familial connections to help look after their own. It is wonderfully presented, it has great illustrations as well as photographs to help back up the points of view and when added to a friendly vocal literary manner keeps the reader not only entertained but fascinated. Back that up with clear concise classification of subjects and it’s a title that can easily be dipped into as well as read back to back that will be reread many times over.

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