In Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood
In Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood
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In Search of the Dark Ages

Author: Michael Wood

Narrator: Marston York

Unabridged: 14 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ebury Digital

Published: 08/11/2022


Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.

In Search of the Dark Ages is an unrivalled exploration of the origins of English identity, and the bestselling book that established Michael Wood as one of Britain's leading historians. Now, on the book's 40th anniversary, this fully revised and expanded edition illuminates further the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest.

Alongside portraits of Boadicea, King Arthur, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, the story of England is expanded further to include new voices, with all-new chapters on fascinating characters such as Penda of Mercia, Aethelflaed Lady of the Mercians, Hadrian the African, Eadgyth of England, and Wynflaed. It's an altogether richer, more varied, and inclusive study on the creation of Britain.

Just as it did when it first published 40 years ago, In Search of the Dark Ages overturns preconceptions of the Early Middle Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.

© Michael Wood 2001 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

About Michael Wood

Michael Wood is a historian, filmmaker, and broadcaster who has written several bestselling books and made well over one hundred documentary films which are regularly seen on PBS. Some of these book-and-documentary projects include In Search of the Dark Ages, In Search of the Trojan War, and In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great. A professor of public history at the University of Manchester, he is also a fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, the Royal Historical Society, and the Society of Antiquaries. He recently received the British Academy President's Medal for services to history and outreach.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rex on August 04, 2015

The title is overly broad but don’t be disappointed. Content yourself that this really looks only at England, and of it, only at the following: Boudica (regnant, AD 60 or 61) queen of the Iceni and leader of a calamitous revolt against Roman rule; the Sutton Hoo Man, probably Raedwald (c. 599 – c. 6......more

Goodreads review by Brian on August 01, 2011

I like Michael Wood's work. I'll go ahead and damn him with the praise that his summation of history and archaeology is "accessible". I have no doubt that he's passionate, thorough, articulate and competent (more damning praise). Still, I didn't enjoy this book. I couldn't wait to be done with it an......more

Goodreads review by Jo on April 15, 2019

Covering such figures as Boudicca, Offa, Alfred the Great and King Arthur, Wood looks at Britain in the time period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the invasion of the Normans. This was so interesting and I feel I learned a lot.......more

Goodreads review by Nicky on August 15, 2012

Michael Wood's In Search of the Dark Ages is a survey of British history from Boudica to William the Conqueror, looking at the formation of a British -- or English? it's not always terribly clear which he's interested in -- identity. Obviously, he has to do a quick whip past subjects that whole book......more

Goodreads review by Chris on July 19, 2023

Read this after getting obsessed with The Last Kingdom and wanting to learn more about Alfred, Aethelflaed, Aethelstan, etc. Definitely enjoyed those sections the most but learned a lot throughout the book. Some of the chapters were more interesting than others, I'm assuming that's based on the amou......more