An excellent book that covers all aspects of the dark ages.BEautifully. written,I would totally recommend this book to anyone without hesitation who is interested in history and past kings.MIchael WOod is an excellent historian who also covers most things on ancient history.

Long named 'The Dark Ages', the time from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Battle of Hastings has been overlooked by history. There are few contemporary sources but the five hundred year stretch is full of events and characters that shape our lives even now. I remember reading this book many years ago (though not on publication!) and enjoying it but coming to this new edition was a joy. Wood has expanded his tales to include new ones, arguably to appeal more to modern desires, but this is still a very readable and insightful approach to a forgotten era.

It was a fascinated and informative read, I learned a lot and found it entertaining too.
The author is a good storyteller and this well researched book kept me turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I can’t quite believe that 40 years have passed, since the first edition was published.

Both the book and the series were hugely enjoyable. Michael Wood had such a captivating style and enthusiasm.

This fully updated and expanded edition shows that age has not diminished Michael’s talent for presenting history in a fascinating and vibrant style.

I heartily recommend that you read this!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.

I was very impressed by the original book and long ago series, going to a lecture in 1982 on Anglo Saxon kingship by the author. It has since spurred me to visit Sutton Hoo, Chedwoorth and other sites.

This is a new version which is updated to take into account all the most recent archaeological evidence and research. It's still told with the same verve, spirit and enthusiasm of the original . I can't attest to the archaeological expertise but Wood makes this little known period of our history come alive to the average reader.I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the Arthur legend.
A welcome new edition.

Really enjoyed this updated book.So much information so many updated facts a book to go back to again &again.#netgalley #ebury

Great book as are all titles I've read from Michael Wood. It's a long time since I read the original so it was nice to be able to re-read it in this 40th anniversary revised edition.

Michael Wood's "In Search Of The Dark Ages" was originally published 40 years ago, and at that time was a wonderful introduction to a period of history about which little is known. Wood writes with confidence and elegance, his style is very easy to read.

This revised edition has been massively updated given recent research and current understanding of the period in question - and there has been a great deal of change in the past forty years. There are one or two current - perhaps somewhat controversial - theories that are not touched on here, but nevertheless this remains an excellent jumping off point for anyone who has even a passing interest in the era. Other studies go into greater detail of specific ideas, but this is an excellent overview of the period.

I will be reviewing the book for AOH magazine:)

In this new edition of In Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood offers an updated and expanded version of the original book.

This 40th anniversary edition of the book to accompany a 1980’s BBC television series has been updated and expanded from the original, but retains the overall structure of the original, and this is the fundamental weakness of the book compared to later works, such as Marc Morris’ The Anglo-Saxons and Max Adams The First Kingdom. The book covers the history of England from the Roman invasion through to the Norman conquest through chapters looking at the lives of specific individuals. This approach allows for excellent narrative storytelling of particular periods, but is necessarily disjointed.

The first chapter skilfully recounts the rebellion of Boudica in the early years of Roman occupation. I enjoyed this history of Roman Britain, but it isn’t about the “Dark Ages”.
There follows five chapters comprising about a third of the book broadly covering the period from 400 to 850 (ie more than two thirds of the period nominally under discussion), which deal with:
• King Arthur - the real “Dark Ages” (about 410-600) period when we don’t know how the Germanic tribes from Europe settled in South and Eastern Britain.
• Sutton Hoo - a pagan burial in the kingdom of the East Angles, probably of King Rædwald (early 600s)
• Penda (died 655) - the last pagan king of a major kingdom (Mercia)
• Theodore of Tarsus and Hadrian the African - an archbishop of Canterbury and abbot of Canterbury in 670 onwards, initiating a “renaissance” in learning, but feeling a bit politically correct perhaps as an added chapter, as they were originally a Syrian and an African (from now Libya).
• Offa (reigned 757 to 796) - who created a significantly enlarged kingdom of Mercia that claimed overlordship of other kingdoms (West Saxon, East Angles, Kent) and had diplomatic links with Charlemagne.
The chapters on Penda and Theodore & Hadrian are additions in this updated edition.
The book now switches to the more successful West Saxon (Wessex) dynasty with chapters on:
• Alfred the Great (lived 848-899) - who ruled Wessex from 871, resisting the Vikings who had first raided Britain in 753 (Thanet, and more famously Lindisfarne in 793), and uniting the Anglo-Saxons against the Viking invaders from 886
• Aethelflaed (lived about 870 to 918) - who was Alfred’s daughter and ruled in Mercia, with her brother Edgar ruling in Wessex, consolidating the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia
• Athelstan (lived 894 to 939) - grandson of Alfred who expanded the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, as King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to his death in 939, after conquering the Viking kingdom of Northumbria (York).
• Lady Wynflaed (died mid-tenth century) - a rich widow whose Will is analysed to provide details of her life - see https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2018/09/wynflaed-and-the-price-of-fashion.html
• Eadgyth Princess of Wessex, Queen of Germany (lived 910-946) - a granddaughter of Alfred the Great, who at 19 married Otto, a German prince, who became king (East Francia). Although written records are mainly German, this chapter discusses how royal princesses were part of the medieval diplomatic alliance process.
The chapters on Aethelflaed, Lady Wynflaed and Eadgyth are further additions in this updated edition.
The Anglo-Saxon kingdom is then disrupted by Vikings again and this is examined by looking at the life of Eric Bloodaxe (died 954), who ended his life after twice being King of Northumbria (c. 947–948 and 952–954).
The Anglo-Saxon kings are again looked at through the reign of Ethelred the Unready (reigned 978 to 1013 and again 1014 until his death in 1016), who was overthrown by Sweyn of Denmark in 1013-1014. Although mainly told through extracts from the contemporary Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, this chapter failed to illuminate Ethelred’s character for me. Although succeeded by his son Edmund “Ironside in 1016, Edmund was killed by Sweyn’s son Cnut (also king of Denmark and Norway) and an Anglo-Saxon rule was not reimposed until 1042, when the last Anglo-Saxon king, Edward “the Confessor” ruled to 1066.
The final chapter looks at how William “the Conqueror” came to have a claim to the English crown and the battles of 1066 that allowed him to take the crown.

Overall, this book is very readable and provides engaging portraits of individuals who lived during the long period covered by the history, but feels more like a series of snapshots.

This is a historical period I did not have much prior knowledge about so I was thrilled to read this detailed account. The level of information is exquisite and very accessible to the uninitiated layman such as myself. I was aware the England has a rich tapestry of history during these times, with a multitude of influences but not to the extent covered. It was deeply satisfying that such a level of detail is known and preserved as part of our history and I now have a much better insight and knowledge. I particularly enjoyed the sections which mention Icknield Way as I live on a section of this, historically important, road so the information felt particularly relevant and poignant to me. It was also good to know personal detail and tragedy about the kings, queens and leaders as it painted them in a very relatable and human light.
Seriously fascinating reading, everyone should take the opportunity to read about our colourful and culturally rich past. Absolutely recommend.