(Edit: I just received an anniversary note, it’s 12 years since I started babbling around here in WordPress. So this is my anniversary post.)

Generally my grasp on Middle Ages has been limited to crusades, the Hundred Year War, Italian city states, bubonic plague et cetera. Without much details. The one I always had interest in was the so-called Dark Ages/early Middle Ages, especially in post-Roman Britannia in 5th-10th centuries. Despite a small anglophile living in my head I simply had omitted reading about what was happening there after Romans left. Oh, but I have seen the ‘King Arthur’ film. However, Clive Owen’s Artorius does not quite fill the shoes of real history here, despite his story being popular since the Middle Ages.

Then I started reading Millie Thom’s excellent ‘Sons of Kings’ series about the era of Viking(‘Northmen’ being the contemporary term) invasion of Britannia. They are historical fiction but most of the characters and main events are real, given some believable freedom in details.

Once in there, and because the Viking phase is only the latter part of Dark Ages history, I needed more. It was time for some more serious history research.
I selected ‘The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England'(2022) by Marc Morris, and was not disappointed. Equipped with medieval choral music I devoured the book so fast I had to reread it before a month was gone(I never was particularly good in remembering school stuff you know).
The biggest surprise for me was how the Britons deserted everything that had been built under Roman rule. The structures of that society were just left to rot, despite all the architecture and infrastructure that had been built. The Roman Britannia just crumbled.
I also like the glimpses into France of that time, as they had constant dealings with the rulers of newly forming Britannia.

Just a couple of details, but if you enjoy reading of the more unknown era of Britain’s first kingdoms, Angles, Saxons and Jutes, and have a knack for getting myths straight, I warmly recommend ‘The Anglo-Saxons.’

But WAIT: What if Romans never left Britannia? Oh, I can see your expressions and raise you ancient gods, ha! I almost forgot that the brilliant E. M. Kkoulla is finalising her excellent historical fantasy series ‘Ships of Britannia’, part five is almost here, and I cannot wait!(Ok, November 2024)

All the books are available in Amazon but even better if you can support local bookstores.