Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's pageview limit. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. The subject matter is a point of fascination for me, though, and I liked the way he doesn't try and force a theory but lays them all out before you. Instead you are being given a plausible story for each of them given the information available through archeological finds and the texts we have (Bede being the ever present star of that show).

The book is occasionally verbose, but what appeals is his poetic evocation of ruined landscapes mired in the forgotten past. Williams] is just brilliant at bringing them to light' Rory Stewart on The Rest is Politics From the bestselling author of Viking Britain, a new epic history of our forgotten past.

However lots of the information was based on lore and snippets of evidence, so there was a lot of ‘maybe’ and possibly’. Prior to this he gained an MA with Distinction in Cultural Heritage Studies (UCL) with a prize-winning dissertation that explored the role of fantasy and medievalism in the modern interpretation of cultural heritage sites in Britain and Germany.

However, apparently it makes him queasy because of the 'Horny Relish' which which Geoffrey of Monmouth described the conception of King Arthur. Actually rather beautifully written in its account of the people and realms that came and then disappeared from time leaving such fleeting and barely discernable remains. This is a difficult historical topic to take on - Williams flat out says that if you aren't comfortable with minimal evidence and the liberal use of the word "possibly," this isn't the book for you.For all ebook purchases, you will be prompted to create an account or login with your existing HarperCollins username and password. Particularly enjoyable is the use of each kingdom to highlight the different forces and events changing Britain between Roman and what we consider the medieval period.

In Lost Realms Thomas Williams uncovers the forgotten origins and untimely demise of Britain’s ancient kingdoms: lands that hover in the twilight between history and fable, whose stories hum with gods and miracles, with giants and battles and ruin. Often he can say little more than we don't know a lot but his presentation of the topography, local politics, cultural developments and the understanding of archaeological discoveries could not be bettered. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. Williams takes those places or polities that are edged over or around in general histories - places like Elmet, Sussex or Hwicce and teases out everything that can be known about them plus what assumptions are possible. He is assiduous about filling in background details (such as the Easter Controversy which is vital when it comes to assessing Bede's coverage of some events).

The less said about the little earnest cringe about the term Anglo-Saxon which forms a coda the better. Archaeological and source material driven, Williams constructs what he can with the evidence available and his vivid interpretations make you think. Williams has a fine command of the literary, administrative, religious and archaeological sources of early medieval Britain. In restoring some of these voices, he raises questions matching many we face today: how do nations form and why do some fail? In Lost Realms, Thomas Williams, bestselling author of Viking Britain, focuses on nine kingdoms representing every corner of the island of Britain.