Peter Hunter BlairRoman Britain and Early England: 55 B.C.-A.D. 871 (Norton Library History of England)

It reads well and should list books that go deeper in any direction you want to go. Nice portable size for when I don't have my ebook on hand.

I had read "Alfred the Great: The Man Who Made England" by Justin Pollard, and wanted to learn more about England prior to Alfred's nineth-century reign. Peter Hunter Blair's book was just the ticket. I must admit, after Pollard's quick-paced prose, Blair's narrative seemed a bit slow at first. However, I plodded on. After adjusting to Blair's more academic style, I was rewarded with a fascinating and rewarding read. This is a good, well-researched book. The one drawback was Blair's tendency to jump forward in time and back again, in order to make some historical connection, which to me seemed unnecessary and interrupted the narrative flow; a small quibble and my reason for the four-star rating.None other than Julius Caesar led the invasion and conquest of an island off the northwest coast of Europe they named Britannia. Why conquer Britain? Because they could, and to exploit the island's resources: iron, lead, copper and tin, plus cattle, hides, corn and wheat, dogs (British dogs were highly sought after in Rome) and slaves. After the conquest, it was a matter of maintaining military, administrative and commercial control; building a network of communications roads (10,000 miles in all, arrow-straight and stone paved), establishing fortified cities such as London, Chester, Bath and York, and creating villas for the military elite, by the sweat of slave labor. When the Romans departed 400 years later the Anglo-Saxons filled the void through a series of migrations over many years, as opposed to a sudden hostile invasion as once thought. The Anglo-Saxons were farmers. In the beginning there were a number of Anglo-Saxon kings, each ruling a separate territory. They were forever at war with one another until Egbert of Wessex consolidated English rule under his authority. Anglo-Saxon rule was highly arbitrary, whatever the king and his cronies decided. Egbert's grandson, Alfred the Great, changed that with the introduction of uniform written laws that with time evolved into English Common Law.The author's careful research has shed considerable light on a number of ancient sources that in turn have dispelled the notion of Britain ever having undergone a "Dark Age" like the rest of Europe. Toward the end of his book, Blair focuses on the impact of Christianity--introduced by the Romans--and its lasting effect on English culture. Blair sums up: "Although Roman roads remain today as the most strikingly visible legacy of four centuries of occupation, there is substance in the claim that the most precious legacy of Roman Britain to posterity was the Christian faith."

There is not much to add but to say that this is a good introduction to early Britain history and despite the subject may be considered a little dry, the reading is totally fluid with a book containing images and maps. So for a small island like England, the country has a rich history spanning the Roman occupation, with Ceasar himself, to the Anglo-Saxon invasion -and there is plenty of archeological evidence explained by the author in order to understand this period of time.

Layers. You remember those transparencies in biology class. The circulatory system overlays the skeletal system. I wish they could make a map of Great Britain like that because of all the layers. It is hard to keep it all straight and see how it relates to areas in modern England. I loved it.

This book is no doubt accurate and reliable, however it is also I describably bland. There is nothing lively and the author (though highly respectable in all seriousness) does not bring these words off the page with any delight whatsoever.If you are looking for a history that will jump out at you this is not the book for you. If you want a very accurate, but boring accounting of the history this is the book for you!

Blair's book is extremely readable and well-organized. I would agree with earlier comments about the need for more maps and explanations of some of the locations; however, this is an inherent problem when dealing with large time spans and numerous events. I kept a marker by the map of Roman Britain on p. 59 and went there frequently in the first half of the book. The second half that covers the Anglo-Saxon settlements is somewhat better mapped out. The map of the 7th century kingdoms on p. 209 was especially helpful and is critical for the later history of English development. However, all the maps in the book could have more detail.The opening chapter on the Roman and early medieval sources is well done but there is one major problem with source material and that is what has been found, especially in archaeology, after the book's publication in 1966. I had the sense at times that the material could be updated, most notably regarding the Romans. The book has a useful Index but no footnotes. The "Further Reading" does not go beyond the early 60's.Nevertheless, Blair's use of Roman and Anglo-Saxon source material is effective. He is able to talk about the limitations of the sources in the book without that replacing the flow of his narrative. I learned a great deal not only about the Romans and early Christianity in England but also about the sources of names and the long-term legacy left by the Romans. Despite the problem of the book being over 40 years old, it is still an exceptionally well-organized and clear resource for the 900 years of Roman and Anglo-Saxon life in England up to Alfred.

Scholarship clearly explained, very interesting and satisfying read. Really liked it.

good