Britain And Ireland In Early Christian Times: Ad 400 - 800
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
At the twilight's edge of the Roman world and the dawn of medieval Christendom, Britain and Ireland underwent a profound and tumultuous transformation — one that Charles Thomas masterfully chronicles in Britain and Ireland in Early Christian Times: AD 400–800. Spanning four centuries of monumental change, this authoritative work presents the sweeping story of how two islands, buffeted by the collapse of Roman imperial authority and the surging tide of new peoples and beliefs, forged the foundations of Christian civilisation in the West. Thomas details the emergence of monastic culture, the spread of early Christian art and literacy, and the complex interplay of indigenous Celtic traditions with the incoming influences of Anglo-Saxon settlers and Roman ecclesiastical missionaries. A leading archaeologist and historian of early medieval Britain, Thomas brings rigorous scholarship and a vivid narrative sensibility to a period too often obscured by myth and legend. Drawing on archaeological evidence, inscriptions, and documentary sources, he argues that these islands were not a passive periphery but an active crucible of Christian thought, art, and identity. The intricate goldwork of sacred vessels — evocative of the period's breathtaking craftsmanship — stands as testament to a culture of remarkable sophistication. For anyone captivated by the origins of British and Irish identity, this work poses a quietly urgent question: how much of who we are was forged in those dark and brilliant centuries?
Author: Charles Thomas
Format: Hardback
Genre: British & Irish history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
At the twilight's edge of the Roman world and the dawn of medieval Christendom, Britain and Ireland underwent a profound and tumultuous transformation — one that Charles Thomas masterfully chronicles in Britain and Ireland in Early Christian Times: AD 400–800. Spanning four centuries of monumental change, this authoritative work presents the sweeping story of how two islands, buffeted by the collapse of Roman imperial authority and the surging tide of new peoples and beliefs, forged the foundations of Christian civilisation in the West. Thomas details the emergence of monastic culture, the spread of early Christian art and literacy, and the complex interplay of indigenous Celtic traditions with the incoming influences of Anglo-Saxon settlers and Roman ecclesiastical missionaries. A leading archaeologist and historian of early medieval Britain, Thomas brings rigorous scholarship and a vivid narrative sensibility to a period too often obscured by myth and legend. Drawing on archaeological evidence, inscriptions, and documentary sources, he argues that these islands were not a passive periphery but an active crucible of Christian thought, art, and identity. The intricate goldwork of sacred vessels — evocative of the period's breathtaking craftsmanship — stands as testament to a culture of remarkable sophistication. For anyone captivated by the origins of British and Irish identity, this work poses a quietly urgent question: how much of who we are was forged in those dark and brilliant centuries?