Overview

The Idea of Anglo Saxon England, 1066-1901 presents the first systematic review of the ways in which Anglo-Saxon studies have evolved from their beginnings to the twentieth century Tells the story of how the idea of Anglo-Saxon England evolved from the Anglo-Saxons themselves to the Victorians, serving as a myth of origins for the English people, their language, and some of their most cherished institutions Combines original research with established scholarship to reveal how current conceptions of English identity might be very different if it were not for the discovery – and invention – of the Anglo-Saxon past Reveals how documents dating from the Anglo-Saxon era have greatly influenced modern attitudes toward nationhood, race, religious practice, and constitutional liberties Includes more than fifty images of manuscripts, early printed books, paintings, sculptures, and major historians of the era

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9781118943328

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Reviews

From the 9th century to 1901, John D. Niles here constructs a meticulously detailed, illuminating, and sometimes amusing history of the complex notion of Anglo-Saxon England. The book is as authoritative and compelling as Niles's many other contributions to Anglo-Saxon studies and just like those should be read by everyone in the field. Robert E Bjork, Arizona State University

One of the highlights of The Idea of Anglo-Saxon England is its well-written, entertaining style. Throughout, Niles displays a keen eye for detail, often highlighting anecdotal, amusing and occasionally shocking facts. - Thijs Porck, 2016. Review AMSTERDAMER BEITRAGE ZUR ALTEREN GERMANISTIK.

""A cogent and well-written overview of the major authors, artists, scholars, and books that give us our current views of Anglo Saxon England. As such, it is a book worth recommending to colleagues who study later periods. It is also a wonderful introduction to Anglo-Saxonism. Niles is to be congratulated on a welcome and thorough survey."" —Stephen Harris, University of Massachusetts, Modern Philology ""One of the highlights of The Idea of Anglo-Saxon England is its well-written, entertaining style. Throughout, Niles displays a keen eye for detail, often highlighting anecdotal, amusing and occasionally shocking facts."" —Thijs Porck, 2016, Review AMSTERDAMER BEITRÄGE ZUR ÄLTEREN GERMANISTIK ""The wealth of subject knowledge across a millenium is encycolopaedic; the prose is fresh, witty, easy to read but never casual, and wears its deep learning lightly. In The Idea of Anglo-Saxon England Niles has delivered what will surely be regarded as the must-cite landmark publication for next few decades."" (The Review of English Studies Advance Access, 2016)

Author Information

John D. Niles is Professor Emeritus of Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. A past president of the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists, he is the author or editor of a dozen books on Old English literature and related topics, including Beowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition (1983) and Homo Narrans: The Poetics and Anthropology of Oral Literature (1997).

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