How England Began

Nicholas J. Higham is professor emeritus of history at the University of Manchester. His many works include Ecgfrith: King of the Northumbrians, High-King of Britain; King Arthur: Myth-Making and History; and The Anglo-Saxon World.

“Splendid.”—George Woudhuysen, Wall Street Journal“[Higham presents] a complex set of interactions, and one that makes for a complex book. But readers will emerge much the wiser about how England began.”—Philip Parker, Telegraph“An ambitious work, densely detailed and covering a diverse range of subjects—but that is not to suggest that the book is heavy going: Higham writes with a brisk confidence and clarity, and he has a particular knack for summarising how interpretative trajectories have evolved over time.”—Current Archaeology“Higham . . . reminds readers that Rome conquered Britain in the first century and abandoned it in the fifth but always considered it a land at the edge of the world inhabited by barbarians.”—Kirkus Reviews“Higham’s magisterial account is elegantly written, wide ranging, deeply researched and full of fresh answers. His depth of critical analysis and dextrous marshalling of archaeological finds and their significance gives us a much clearer insight into the shadowy world of Anglo-Saxon Britain.”—Timothy Mowl, Country Life“[Higham] fuses archaeology and contemporary literature in his quest to unravel something of an origin story for England, gambolling across seven centuries and following the ebb and flow of wars, invasions and periods of consolidation along the way. This is a commanding performance filled with the latest academic research.”—Unseen Histories“A fascinating account.”—Mathew Lyons, Broken Compass“There is much to fascinate here and . . . there is a great deal to mull over.”—Murray Dahm, Ancient History Magazine“A succinct and yet detailed survey of the transition from Roman to Anglo-Saxon England, crossing a vast tranche of time and space with élan and without sacrificing academic nuance.”—Gabriel Byng, Church Times“A fresh look at this fascinating period . . . A wide-ranging and deeply considered narrative of fourth- and fifth- century history, it has detailed discussions on many key issues.”—Michael Wood, Times Literary Supplement“With a combination of lucidity and originality, Nick Higham’s account of how England began guides the reader confidently through the murky transition from Roman Britain to early Anglo-Saxon England. Thanks to Higham’s elegant prose and command of diverse sources, the result is an impressive, instructive journey that poses fresh answers as well as fresh questions.”—Rory Naismith, author of Offa“A timely and well-balanced consideration from a leading expert in both the written and archaeological sources of how the recent scientific and archaeological evidence for fifth- and sixth-century England sits alongside previous interpretations of the period.”—Barbara Yorke, author of The Conversion of Britain“Drawing on the most recent archaeological and historical research, Nicholas Higham provides a masterful account of one of the most obscure and complex periods of British history.”—David Woodman, author of The First King of England