The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 – 1066

The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 – 1066 by Marc Morris

The Anglo-Saxons took leadership of England from the remnant Roman Empire. They dominated for many centuries. We do not have extensive records of their time - and some of those records we do have are not very reliable. They never referred to themselves as Anglo-Saxons. They were a diverse group from Northern Europe. Eventually they came to dominate. Their domination came to an end in 1066 with the Battle of Hastings. 

This book is fairly comprehensive, but leaves it clear that there are many unknowns. Much of what we think of Anglo-Saxon history was written in the past few centuries. Some of it is correct, while other is pure legend. Archeological records have provided new details that have confirmed some ideas and invalidated some others. In the end, the Anglo-Saxons were hoping to have alliances with other relatives in Normandy. Alas, other relatives started an invasion in the north. They won there, but were easily defeated by the Normans. The Normans ended up dominating the Anglo-Saxons, but much of the culture and language still lived on. In some sense, they were all from similar roots.

Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain

Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain by Marc Morris

What are castles? Why we seem to understand what castles are, defining one can be challenging. The book attempts to define castles and trace their history in England. British castles were heavily influenced by the French. William the Conqueror has a giant castle in Normandy. He later conquered England. Many minor nobles had their castles which were used for both defense and display of wealth and power. Castles eventually fell out of popularity as the rich created country estates instead. In addition to the history of the buildings, this book details some of the key castle owners and interesting events that occurred in British castles.