With the upcoming release of Warriors of Iron, here are some of the sources I used while writing the trilogy

coloursofunison
Jul 11
4 min read

Written sources for the fifth and sixth centuries in what would become England

Gildas On the Ruin of Britain (De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae) – an English translation can be found on the web here. I think most people know this from the translation in the Arthurian Period Sources collection (with green covers). This is a sixth century source, although it has a complex manuscript tradition and no one agrees on the date of composition

Bede’s Ecclesiastical History (Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum) – an English translation can be found on the web here and here. I have the 1969 edition. This is an eighth century source, with a firm end date in 732 for Bede’s words. There are continuations written after his death.

The Annals Cambriae or the Welsh Annals – an English translation can be found on the web here. Again, not a contemporary source, but believed to be older than the first surviving twelfth-century copy.

Historia Brittonum, once attributed to Nennius – and English translation can be found on the web here. Both The Annals Cambriae and Historia Brittonum can be found in Arthurian Period Sources Volume 8, which if you’re lucky, you can find second hand or in your local academic library. Again, not a contemporary source, but often cited as one. There are arguments about when it was first written as it survives in an eleventh century copy.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles – there are lots of readily available copies of this resource on the web and elsewhere as well as the academic translations (and sometimes not translations) undertaken by historians and linguists and available from Boydell and Brewer. I prefer the Michael Swanton edition, which I picked up second hand. Do remember, this source was first compiled in the 890s. It’s not a contemporary record. Check out Pauline Stafford’s fabulous summary of much of this work in After Alfred: Anglo Saxon Chronicles and Chronicles, 900-1150.

Secondary Reading for the period

This period has a number of excellent books available to read. However, you will discover that authors are often coming ‘at it’ from a Roman perspective or an early Saxon one, and this impacts how information is presented and arguments formulated. There are also many archaeological books available, and so there are books from an historical angle, and also from an archaeological one.

There are a number of authors who give a ‘good’ and ‘well-rounded’ account, but be wary as these are their own opinions and authors will take the same alleged ‘facts’, argue about whether they are ‘facts’ or not and then draw their own conclusions, depending on whether they accept the facts or not. That doesn’t negate any opinion, and never think there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ answer because new research is constantly shedding new light on the era. Even books a few decades old might not reflect current academic thought. Also, this era is enmeshed with the early Arthurian legend. Tread carefully, but remember the name of Arthur is a powerful selling point, and it might be somewhat vaguely applied to book titles to help them sell. Don’t always dismiss them if you, like me, think of Arthur merely as a later literary creation.

Max Adams The First Kingdom – a book I find very readable, but it is stuffed with information and it might be a bit too ‘heavy’ for an introduction to the period, I realise, having spoken to a few others who’ve read it. But, Max has a lovely style and does very succinctly summarise arguments. And, I would also recommend all of his books on the period. The Kings in the North is a very readable account and might give new students to this era, a good introduction to Northumbria in the seventh century, and so could be an excellent place to start, and then work backwards.

Max Adams In the Land of Giants – a fascinating ‘walk’ through the landscape of the era. I’m reading this at the moment.

Robin Fleming The Material Fall of Roman Britain 300-525CE – academic in nature but also fascinating, especially the chapter on Living with Little Corpses (which I know sounds terrible but is so interesting).

Robin Fleming Britain After Rome – I’ve just discovered this. It’s an incredibly readable account of what the archaeology is revealing about the period. It is, unfortunately, only available in paperback or hardback and not ebook.

Paul Gething and Edoardo Albert The Perfect Sword: Forging the Dark Ages – a book I’m reading right now, having purchased it when it was first released.

Ronald Hutton Pagan Britain – I’ve only dipped in and out of this, but the writing style is very engaging and I hope to read even more of it. This has revealed that it’s not only the Dark Ages that are being rewritten by modern archaeology, but also the Iron Age. Very exciting.

DP Kirby The Earliest English Kings – a book I first read at uni. Again, it’s more about the Saxons, so there’s almost nothing about the era before the first ‘kings’ but it remains one of the most informative books about the earliest English kingdoms I’ve ever read, and again, it does give new enthusiasts an ‘easy in’ to the period.

Dennis Riley Anglo-Saxon Metalworking Tools and Anglo-Saxon Iron Smelting – a very important resource for me. These short guides are filled with photos and the outcomes of experimental blacksmithing.

Gareth Williams – The Treasures from Sutton Hoo (Gareth also knows a great deal about the Watlington Hoard (The two-emperor coins) that inspired me to write about Coelwulf. How I’d love to get him in a room and ask him hundreds of questions.

Archaeology books and site reports

Eddie Price Frocester – A Romano-British Settlement I got a bit lucky with this. I think it’s perhaps out of print, so check libraries or places like Abebooks.

Gavin Speed Towns in the Dark? Urban Transformations from late Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England