In the Land of Giants - Softcover

Adams, Max

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1784080330 ISBN 13: 9781784080334

Publisher: Head of Zeus, 2016

Synopsis

The five centuries between the end of Roman Britain (410) and the death of Alfred the Great (899) have left few voices save a handful of chroniclers, but Britain's Dark Ages' can still be explored through their material remnants: buildings, books, metalwork, and, above all, landscapes.

Max Adams explores Britain's lost early medieval past by walking its paths and exploring its lasting imprint on valley, hill and field. From York to Whitby, from London to Sutton Hoo, from Edinburgh to Anglesey and from Hadrian's Wall to Loch Tay, each of his ten walk narratives form both free-standing chapters and parts of a wider portrait of a Britain of fort and fyrd, crypt and crannog, church and causeway, holy well and memorial stone.

Part travelogue, part expert reconstruction, IN THE LAND OF GIANTS offers a beautifully written insight into the lives of peasants, drengs, ceorls, thanes, monks and kings during an enigmatic but richly exciting period of our island's history.

About this title

Review:

'Great archaeological knowledge, an inquisitive mind and vivid descriptions of the natural and manmade landscape come together in this erudite travelogue' The Lady.

'A personal travelogue interspersed with historical references, Adams comes alive when he deals with history and topography. Very well illustrated, with helpful maps, best for independent travellers who want to do their own exploring' The Tablet.

'Offers many pointed lessons - not least that history ought to play a central role in our culture and education ... This book reminds us too that we hold a collective title deed to the land itself. It connects us to our past and our present and to ourselves; and we sever this connection at our peril' Irish Times.

'Adams strikingly evokes the Dark Ages and reminds readers that the British landscape is dotted with far more of its remains than most would suppose. The combination of history and travel writing is always a difficult hybrid to master, but Adams has done so ably, creating a veritable gazetteer of the Land of Giants for others to follow' --Literary Review

'Adams has succeeded in creating a bold account concerned with those timeless qualities that bind people together across centuries' --BBC History Magazine

'A beautifully written archae-travelogue ... an engaging and scholarly journey through Britain's landscapes' --Tls

About the Author:

Max Adams is the author of ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD (2005), THE PROMETHEANS (2009) and the bestselling THE KING IN THE NORTH (2013). A university teacher, Max has lived and worked in the North-East of England since 1993.

About this edition

• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1784080330
• ISBN 13: 9781784080334
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464