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Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the great history authored by King Alfred the Great, is published here complete with a scholarly introduction by Reverand James Ingram.
One of the most famous works of history ever written about Saxon times, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a group of chronologically arranged annals of the major events throughout the history of the Anglo-Saxon peoples. The original manuscripts survived in parts, which are complexly interrelated, with some updated during the early Middle Ages to record historical events that following the death of King Alfred. This edition is an amalgamation of several surviving manuscripts, with the final record concluding in 1154.
There is some confirmed bias in the text regarding events which were politically contentious at the time. However, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a work of gargantuan and undisputed importance and thoroughness. It excels at providing historians and readers alike a portrait of England through the years between the departure of the Roman Army and the Norman conquest of the country, and has proven good grounding for further historical investigations of the era.
The work is originally thought to have been commissioned by King Alfred in around 890 as part of the monarch's overall enthusiasm for education and the need for historical records. It is likely that the King reviewed aspects of the text, although historians generally agree that most of the writing itself was likely accomplished by a scribe of the royal court.
The translation from Old English to Modern English is by two men; the Reverend James Ingram, and Dr. J. A. Giles. Both boast a great experience with the early forms of the English language, and their interpretation of King Alfred's history remains one of the most respected ever published.
One of the most famous works of history ever written about Saxon times, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a group of chronologically arranged annals of the major events throughout the history of the Anglo-Saxon peoples. The original manuscripts survived in parts, which are complexly interrelated, with some updated during the early Middle Ages to record historical events that following the death of King Alfred. This edition is an amalgamation of several surviving manuscripts, with the final record concluding in 1154.
There is some confirmed bias in the text regarding events which were politically contentious at the time. However, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a work of gargantuan and undisputed importance and thoroughness. It excels at providing historians and readers alike a portrait of England through the years between the departure of the Roman Army and the Norman conquest of the country, and has proven good grounding for further historical investigations of the era.
The work is originally thought to have been commissioned by King Alfred in around 890 as part of the monarch's overall enthusiasm for education and the need for historical records. It is likely that the King reviewed aspects of the text, although historians generally agree that most of the writing itself was likely accomplished by a scribe of the royal court.
The translation from Old English to Modern English is by two men; the Reverend James Ingram, and Dr. J. A. Giles. Both boast a great experience with the early forms of the English language, and their interpretation of King Alfred's history remains one of the most respected ever published.
294 pages, Paperback
Published November 24, 2020
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About the author
Alfred the Great
114 books10 followersborn 849
Scholar and lawmaker Alfred, known as "the Great," from 871 reigned as king of the West Saxons, repelled the Danes, and helped to consolidate and to unify England.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_...
Scholar and lawmaker Alfred, known as "the Great," from 871 reigned as king of the West Saxons, repelled the Danes, and helped to consolidate and to unify England.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 16, 2021
It's original source, so it goes year by year from AD 1 (mostly biblical mentions until the time of Alfred the Great) until AD 1140 and the start-ish of the Plantagenets. I read it because I am reading the Last Kingdom books and I like reading original sources of whatever historical fiction I am consuming. Alfred's time is quite short, only a few pages. Because it gives the main events of each year during the Alfred years until the 1066-ish it mostly lists which kings and abbots died, and which Danes came overwith some small, tantalizing details of the battles and political maneuvering. Then during the Norman era it talks more about kings, their good and bad decisions and omens from the sky.
Some fun nuggets - Queens that survived their husband's kept on being called "relicts" rude.
At one point around the 1040s Frenchmen were banished from England.
People thought "Earl William" (the conquerer) telling everyone only he could hunt in the forests was a dick move at the time just as much as I do now! (They probably more, since it meant they couldn't eat)
Oh, and as a warning there are several versions of the annuls from different sources/translators that are smashed together in the book so I kept on thinking I was reading the same page over again but no, it's just a slightly different version of the same event. I'm glad they are there to compare but it did tend to make a dream-like read.
Some fun nuggets - Queens that survived their husband's kept on being called "relicts" rude.
At one point around the 1040s Frenchmen were banished from England.
People thought "Earl William" (the conquerer) telling everyone only he could hunt in the forests was a dick move at the time just as much as I do now! (They probably more, since it meant they couldn't eat)
Oh, and as a warning there are several versions of the annuls from different sources/translators that are smashed together in the book so I kept on thinking I was reading the same page over again but no, it's just a slightly different version of the same event. I'm glad they are there to compare but it did tend to make a dream-like read.
January 28, 2025
This is a good book if you're already interested in the history of this period. Also, fun drinking challenge: drink every time the chronicler reports some supernatural phenomenon (comets, dragons, ghosts etc) occurring right before a major historical event in English history
Shout-out to some of my favourite characters:
-Sexwulf the Monk, who was 'greatly God's friend' and had the love of 'all the country'
-Bedwig of Scheaf, who apparently was the son of the Biblical Noah and the direct ancestor to the Kings of Wessex
-Chad
-Oswy, who despite the uwu-sounding name was actually quite a vicious King
-Tosty
-Tookie Wiggodson, who apparently dies a Boromir-style death saving William the Conqueror from his son
Shout-out to some of my favourite characters:
-Sexwulf the Monk, who was 'greatly God's friend' and had the love of 'all the country'
-Bedwig of Scheaf, who apparently was the son of the Biblical Noah and the direct ancestor to the Kings of Wessex
-Chad
-Oswy, who despite the uwu-sounding name was actually quite a vicious King
-Tosty
-Tookie Wiggodson, who apparently dies a Boromir-style death saving William the Conqueror from his son
December 7, 2021
3,5*
Although I think the ASC is fascinating, it’s remains to be a sort of list with dates and events. So reading wise, less exciting than reading heroic poetry - still interesting though!!
Although I think the ASC is fascinating, it’s remains to be a sort of list with dates and events. So reading wise, less exciting than reading heroic poetry - still interesting though!!
April 28, 2021
If you are interested in the History of England and/or are a fan of The Last Kingdom or The Last English King, this book is illuminating. I found myself going back and looking at the entries for different years to find out what happened. It's not complete. A lot of the pieces are missing but it's fascinating to see what was recorded (eclipses! births and death! comet!). The only tough part is the fact that it's single spaced with no breaks at all. Hard to read. But worthwhile.
June 8, 2020
This volume is great if your interest is in how the chronicle changed with its active chronicler. It makes a great reference to have on hand as you read through other histories and check how fantastical your author is being. Historians gonna historiate.
April 11, 2024
I finished the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle today as part of my Q2 Historathon reading.
There's lots of names, lots of genealogies, lots of 'and Anglo-Saxon bloke fought the Welsh'. The first part is very short and sweet entries starting with Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain before increasingly longer entries.
It was apparently written as a Wessex propaganda piece but without this and Bede's Ecclesiastical History we'd know not a lot about the events of Anglo-Saxon English history. It's not all accurate, especially the early stuff but gets progressively more accurate as it goes on. This edition finished in 1164 by which time we'd had almost one hundred years of Norman rule.
It is hard to give this a review because I wouldn't recommend reading it unless you're absolutely fascinated by history, but I reckon this will be a useful reference book. A Chronicle is, after all, a list of events. The very definition of history being 'one damned thing after another.' This is the bones of history, but - mostly - without the meat. Although occasionally something reads like the person who wrote it was being dryly humorous or sarcastic.
Also bring back some Anglo-Saxon names people of England - Wulfstan being a favourite. It does read at times like those 'begat' passages in the Bible, but it definitely improves and becomes less of a list as it goes on.
An interesting read if you like Anglo-Saxon history or have a fascination for the appointing of Bishops and Archbishops.
There's lots of names, lots of genealogies, lots of 'and Anglo-Saxon bloke fought the Welsh'. The first part is very short and sweet entries starting with Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain before increasingly longer entries.
It was apparently written as a Wessex propaganda piece but without this and Bede's Ecclesiastical History we'd know not a lot about the events of Anglo-Saxon English history. It's not all accurate, especially the early stuff but gets progressively more accurate as it goes on. This edition finished in 1164 by which time we'd had almost one hundred years of Norman rule.
It is hard to give this a review because I wouldn't recommend reading it unless you're absolutely fascinated by history, but I reckon this will be a useful reference book. A Chronicle is, after all, a list of events. The very definition of history being 'one damned thing after another.' This is the bones of history, but - mostly - without the meat. Although occasionally something reads like the person who wrote it was being dryly humorous or sarcastic.
Also bring back some Anglo-Saxon names people of England - Wulfstan being a favourite. It does read at times like those 'begat' passages in the Bible, but it definitely improves and becomes less of a list as it goes on.
An interesting read if you like Anglo-Saxon history or have a fascination for the appointing of Bishops and Archbishops.
Read
August 12, 2025An important and interesting historical record. I read this in conjunction with a trip to England and watching a documentary on the time period, which helped flesh out the subject matter. I would have liked to have read an edition with explanatory footnotes (I did not actually read the Kindle Edition as noted above.) However, I had a royal family tree/timeline at hand which was extremely helpful.
February 12, 2022
As a read it probably shouldn't score as high as three but as a source it's fascinating. This edition (East India) however isn't brilliant. It isn't a critical edition which keeps the price down but the handling of the different versions can be confusing. Many years are repeated without explanation. Worse are the odd typos and I settled words. Still it was cheap.
March 5, 2022
It was fascinating to see the perspective of a writer from the 1100s, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if they were some more footnotes and analyses of the writing.
September 27, 2023
Pretty interesting … I read this with a magnifying glass
Want to read
December 17, 2023Areopagus
May 4, 2025
The roots of my very own culture.
April 30, 2017
Best part by far: the very very briefly told tale of the last heroic act and death of Tookie Wiggodson.
Worth reading if you enjoy history, and you are not afraid to tackle the primary works. The end notes of this kindle edition are not active, which made them difficult to use.
Worth reading if you enjoy history, and you are not afraid to tackle the primary works. The end notes of this kindle edition are not active, which made them difficult to use.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews