This volume, which contains about a third of Professor Sims-Williams’ articles from 1975 to 1994 includes those of most interest to early medieval historians. The first two articles are his Oxford O'Donnell lectures on the Coming of the Saxons, and the third discusses medieval Welsh reactions to this turning-point in the history of Britain. Three articles then discuss the earliest Anglo-Saxon and Welsh charters, in particular as evidence for external influences, a theme which is then developed in the rest of the book, which covers such matters as the import and export of patristic manuscripts, the collection and imitation of Christian Latin poetry, the influence of Irish culture, and the Insular and continental contributions to the development of the early medieval private prayer-book, a genre which affords vital information on cultural contacts between Britain, Ireland and continental Europe in the Early Middle Ages.
