Overview

During the tenth century England began to emerge as a distinct country with an identity that was both part of yet separate from 'Christendom'. The reigns of Athelstan, Edgar and Ethelred witnessed the emergence of many key institutions: the formation of towns on modern street plans; an efficient administration; and a serviceable system of tax. Mark Atherton here shows how the stories, legends, biographies and chronicles of Anglo-Saxon England reflected both this exciting time of innovation as well as the myriad lives, loves and hates of the people who wrote them. He demonstrates, too, that this was a nation coming of age, ahead of its time in its use not of the Book-Latin used elsewhere in Europe, but of a narrative Old English prose devised for law and practical governance of the nation-state, for prayer and preaching, and above all for exploring a rich and daring new literature. This prose was unique, but until now it has been neglected for the poetry. Bringing a volatile age to vivid and muscular life, Atherton argues that it was the vernacular of Alfred the Great, as much as Viking war, that truly forged the nation.

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9781838604035

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Reviews

A useful contribution ... its most attractive feature is the wide range of both Latin and vernacular literature Atherton discusses, finding significance and interest in texts that might have been thought too esoteric to set before non-specialists ... the chronological lists at the beginning of each chapter, giving dates of the events mentioned, are an excellent idea. * Parergon *

He tells [the] story in a fresh and appealing way, by focusing on close readings of key texts, for their literary qualities as much as historical detail, and including some unexpected selections. In keeping the style light and the pace lively, the book is well suited to a general audience or to students coming to the period for the first time, from whatever disciplinary perspective they approach, and is sure to entice many of its readers to further study of medieval history and literature. * The Medieval Review * [This book] is a truly interdisciplinary cultural history, covering literature, language, history and landscape studies, and is one that will be accessible to all stages of undergraduate students and members of the general public looking for an engaging introduction to the Anglo-Saxon period ... Through its engaging style and creative approach, Atherton's book really comes alive and tempts the reader to imagine life in the Anglo-Saxon world. * English Studies * A useful contribution ... its most attractive feature is the wide range of both Latin and vernacular literature Atherton discusses, finding significance and interest in texts that might have been thought too esoteric to set before non-specialists ... the chronological lists at the beginning of each chapter, giving dates of the events mentioned, are an excellent idea. * Parergon *

He tells [the] story in a fresh and appealing way, by focusing on close readings of key texts, for their literary qualities as much as historical detail, and including some unexpected selections. In keeping the style light and the pace lively, the book is well suited to a general audience or to students coming to the period for the first time, from whatever disciplinary perspective they approach, and is sure to entice many of its readers to further study of medieval history and literature. * The Medieval Review * A useful contribution ... its most attractive feature is the wide range of both Latin and vernacular literature Atherton discusses, finding significance and interest in texts that might have been thought too esoteric to set before non-specialists ... the chronological lists at the beginning of each chapter, giving dates of the events mentioned, are an excellent idea. * Parergon *

Author Information

Mark Atherton is Lecturer in English Language and Literature at Regent's Park College, Oxford. He is the author of There and Back Again: J R R Tolkien and the Origins of the Hobbit (I.B.Tauris) and of (Teach Yourself) Complete Old English/Anglo-Saxon (2010).

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