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Lordship and Military Obligation in Anglo-Saxon England
- GenresHistory
325 pages, Hardcover
First published June 29, 1988
About the author
Richard P. Abels
13 books5 followersRichard Abels, FRHistS, is Professor Emeritus at the United States Naval Academy
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 12, 2020
This is a book that I've seen quoted a lot and I'd been looking for a reasonably priced copy for quite a while. Everything I've read by Abels has been first class, so I was really looking forward to this and it was well worth the anticipation.
It opens with an account of the historiography of whether the Anglo-Saxons were a nation in arms with all free men obliged to serve in the fyrd or whether it was the nobles who fought. It then questions the sources and discusses their limitations, which all made for a good introduction.
Whilst this book was written to answer the long running debate over the nature of military service, there is so much more to it than just that. It's not a general military history, detailing campaigns and battles, but instead is is about the basis of military obligations. Abels convincingly demonstrates that the key aspect was lordship, with men fighting for their lord rather than any abstract idea such as a kingdom.
In the early period there was a direct personal relationship between lord and retainer who served in the hope of gaining land, but this was lost with the introduction of bookland. The introduction of common burdens squared the circle of bookland and service, but the basis for raising a host was still lordship. The king summoned his lords to war and they, or his sheriffs, in turn raised the requisite number of men who were obliged in turn to serve them as their lord.
There is a lot of detail in this book and in places it is quite technical, such as when he looks into the terminology or the mathematical relationship of hides to valuations. However, this is a sign of just how thorough Abels has been (77 pages of endnotes) and although I may have to read it twice to get the full benefit, I got the vast majority of it first time round. This is a book that not only demolishes the idea of the fyrd being a people in arms, but it gives an insight into lordship, administration and the ties that held Anglo-Saxon England together.
It opens with an account of the historiography of whether the Anglo-Saxons were a nation in arms with all free men obliged to serve in the fyrd or whether it was the nobles who fought. It then questions the sources and discusses their limitations, which all made for a good introduction.
Whilst this book was written to answer the long running debate over the nature of military service, there is so much more to it than just that. It's not a general military history, detailing campaigns and battles, but instead is is about the basis of military obligations. Abels convincingly demonstrates that the key aspect was lordship, with men fighting for their lord rather than any abstract idea such as a kingdom.
In the early period there was a direct personal relationship between lord and retainer who served in the hope of gaining land, but this was lost with the introduction of bookland. The introduction of common burdens squared the circle of bookland and service, but the basis for raising a host was still lordship. The king summoned his lords to war and they, or his sheriffs, in turn raised the requisite number of men who were obliged in turn to serve them as their lord.
There is a lot of detail in this book and in places it is quite technical, such as when he looks into the terminology or the mathematical relationship of hides to valuations. However, this is a sign of just how thorough Abels has been (77 pages of endnotes) and although I may have to read it twice to get the full benefit, I got the vast majority of it first time round. This is a book that not only demolishes the idea of the fyrd being a people in arms, but it gives an insight into lordship, administration and the ties that held Anglo-Saxon England together.
April 30, 2014
A clear and thorough examination of, well, lordship and military obligation in Anglo-Saxon England. Abels is particularly good on the changes brought about by the rise of bookland, that is, land that was given by hereditary right, first to the Church and then to the king's retainers, and way the kings of Mercia and then Wessex responded by redefining the three common burdens of service, fortifications, bridge maintenance and military service, into the Alfredian system of burhs with garrisons and a standing, mobile army. An extra commendation for this book having the longest section of footnotes I've ever encountered; the text runs from page 1 to 187, the footnotes from 204 to 282! Add in the other appendices, bibliography and index, and there's an additional 126 pages of text. That's what I call a proper academic book! But Abels writes well too, so don't be put off if you're interested in this, rather specialised, subject.
December 19, 2013
This is a book of explanation for the most part. There is nothing radical between its covers, nothing exciting, not even a good story. This is the kind of book you read to understand the actions of the people in the great stories. What it does do is all the legwork. Abels lays out a society of lords and knights for us to explain the basic tenets and daily expectations of the upper crust of Anglo-Saxon England. In this he is thorough and clear.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews