How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxons - Nicholas J. Higham

Category: History
Language: English
Keywords: England

Written by Nicholas J. Higham
Read by Michael Langan
Format: M4B
Bitrate: 128 Kbps
Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
Release date: 04-21-26

An engaging, wide-ranging exploration of the end of Roman Britain and the beginnings of England

In 410 CE, Roman rule of Britain collapsed, bringing a centuries-long occupation to an end. A century later, Britain was dividing into two areas with contrasting cultures, an expansive “Anglo-Saxon” south and east, and a shrinking Celtic west and north. How did this transition happen? And why did the customs of the Germanic incomers prevail in England, unlike elsewhere in Europe?

In this deeply researched account, Nicholas J. Higham addresses these difficult questions head on. Higham draws on archaeological evidence and contemporary literature, including the writings of Gildas, to reconsider the accepted narrative. We see anew the importance of culture, warfare, and language—as the arrival, spread, and dominance of incomers irrevocably changed the country. This period marked the beginnings of Englishness, and of such insular identities as Welsh and Cornish. Offering surprising new insights, Higham provides a penetrating account of how, as Roman Britain ended, Anglo-Saxon England emerged.