Earlier this year, I took a mini-class in Medieval English history both because it sounded fun and because I wanted to get a clear timeline in my head. I requested this library book to help me get the facts solidified in my memory. It turns out that I'm very glad that I took the class first, rather than the book.
Ed West has a quirky sense of humour, but I appreciated it (not a given for me). The book is short despite the fact that it covers a fair swathe of time. However, as the author points out, very few people were literate during this period so there wasn't really anyone capable of writing many records. We are reliant on Church records, such as they are, and The Anglo Saxon Chronicle, whose author(s) were not notably loquacious.
I did feel like I was quickly skating over history, as I'm sure was meant. The nitty-gritty of all those Anglo-Saxon names would be overwhelming. But at least when I read historical fiction in the future I will have a much better idea of where it slots into the historical record.
No comments:
Post a Comment