England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest - The Great Courses

Written by The Great Courses
Read by Jennifer Paxton
Format: M4B
Unabridged

The history of England before 1066 is shrouded in myths and legends. From the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the invasion of the Normans in the 11th century, this wild and diverse land offers an incredible story of social, cultural, religions, and political change. How did this small island, far from the centers of western civilization, become the great England we know from the history books?

England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest takes you through the mists of time to the rugged landscape of the British Isles. Over the course of 24 sweeping lectures, Professor Jennifer Paxton of The Catholic University of America surveys the forging of a great nation from a series of warring kingdoms and migrating peoples. From Germanic tribes to Viking invasions to Irish missionaries, she brings to life an underexamined time and place.

When the Romans arrived on the shores of southern England, they believed they had reached the edge of the empire, a place of little consequence. When they left in the fifth century, the island of Britain contained a number of small political groups and a wide variety of ethnicities. Little did the Romans know, the wheels of time continue to turn, and the Anglo-Saxons who emerged from the ruins of Roman England would dominate Britain for the next six centuries.

The Anglo-Saxons left a remarkable legacy in the arts, law, and language, but our understanding of who the Anglo-Saxons were and how they became a united people has changed dramatically in recent years. By using texts, artifacts, and DNA evidence, Professor Paxton reconstructs their astonishing story and the world they built. As you travel through time, you will witness the centuries of expansion and warfare, the rise and fall of rulers and kingdoms, and the sacrifices and schemes of saints and sinners. By the end of this course, you will understand the turning points that transformed a province on the periphery of the Roman Empire into a thriving medieval kingdom - and ultimately, the nation of England.