History of the Anglo-Saxons - From the Earliest Period to the Norman Conquest

by Thomas Miller

Elated by the victory which a hasty march and a sudden surprise had enabled him to obtain more easily over the Norwegians, the brave Harold again, without a day's delay, proceeded to advance rapidly in the direction of the Norman encampment, wearied and thinned as his forces were by the late encounter; hoping by the same unexpected manœuvre and headlong attack, to overthrow at once this new enemy. So sanguine was the Saxon king of obtaining the victory, that he commanded a fleet of seven hundred vessels to hasten towards the English Channel, and intercept the enemy's ships if they should, on his approach, attempt to return to Normandy. The force thus despatched, to remain idle and useless upon the ocean, greatly diminished the strength of the army which Harold was about to lead into the field. Added to this, many had abandoned his standard in disgust, because he prohibited them from plundering the Northmen, whom they had so recently conquered—an act of forbearance which, when placed beside his generous dismissal of the vanquished, shows that Harold, like Alfred, blended mercy instead of revenge with conquest. Too confident in the justice of his cause—brave, eager, impetuous, and burning with the remembrance of the wrongs which he had endured, while he lay helpless at the foot of the Norman duke in his own country, the Saxon king hastened with forced marches to London; where he only waited a few days to collect such forces as were scattered about the neighbourhood, instead of gathering around him the whole strength of Mercia, and the thousands which he might have marshalled together from the northern and western provinces. Those who flocked to his standard came singly, or in small bands; they consisted of men who had armed hastily, of citizens who lived in the metropolis, of countrymen who were within a day or two's march of the capital, and even of monks who abandoned their monasteries to defend their country against the invaders...

Genres: History, Medieval History

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1848

About the author

1807-1874

Reviews

[Phil Syphe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although published in 1850, and therefore lacking certain knowledge gained over time, this is nonetheless an entertaining account of England’s early history.

This is no stuffy textbook, and the narrative is engaging; however, the prose is at times too flowery.

The author has a novelist's imagination, which sometimes enhances the writing quality when he offers his interpretation of how such-and-such a person might have behaved in a certain situation. I like this approach on the most part, but didn’t appreciate the author’s occasional slip into melodrama:

“Oh, what heart-rending shrieks must that beautiful woman have sent forth!”

While I don’t like history books to be too dry or essay-like, I do expect them to be accurate and professionally written. Melodrama has no place here.

Holding back on graphic scenes is typical in pre-twentieth-century works, and this book is no exception:

“We will not pain our readers by describing this unparalleled butchery.”

These sorts of omissions always frustrate me. It leaves me wanting to know the finer details, no matter how gory. Sensitive readers could skip a paragraph if warned, and it feels like a cop out on the author’s part. A good historian should keep no info a secret.

That said, this author doesn’t strike me as a historian, but as a novelist interested in, and knowledgeable about, early history. Not that knowledgeable, though, as certain dates are wrong, such as Alfred the Great’s death, though perhaps this wasn’t known in the mid-nineteenth century.

So, while this book has a few minor faults, I enjoyed it in the most part. If you’re interested in early England, but don’t like dry historical accounts with excess footnotes, then give this a try.

[William Wagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that hits the high points of the Saxon migration until the Norman conquest. The language and wording can be a bit flowery and one can get lost in it and get confused who or what Miller is referring to sometimes. I definitely dig his use of Bards of the day as sources.

[Derek Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book. A good read.

A very concise history of the Anglo-Saxons, written in a delightful and descriptive way by the author. If you want to know anything of the lives of the Anglo-Saxons, read this book.

[Shawn Jamison · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a narrative style of a history and very old. For me it's much easier to enjoy history when its told as more of a story than "Date => place/Event" format.

[shari lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

War and conflict are the history described here

It seems that the knowledge of the history was derived in great part by who fought whom and the victor the new king.

[Cynthia Sellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. I recommend it to those who like history and sagas.

[Ava Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Very poetically written. Every chapter paints a picture of England's early history. I wanted a basic timeline of this time period, and this was perfect for that. It was so beautifully written that I know I'll read it again.

[Jon Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing

This was difficult to read. The author has a bias that is blatantly obvious from the very beginning of the book. This is "history written by the victors" at its worst. The author interweaves documented historical accounts with his own opinions and personal beliefs then calls it all truth. I couldn't get past the bias to appreciate the author's detailed knowledge of the subject.

[Keith Reynard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted a history book, not a poetry book. Couldn't even finish it.