Your 4 must-read Dark Age non-fiction book recommendations from author MJ Porter

The First Kingdom by Max Adams – for those seeking a source-based account (with a strong emphasis on archaeology) of the period. I find Max’s writing style to be engaging, but it is stuffed with information. My ebook version is almost all highlights. I know some who have found it nearly overwhelming, so, perhaps, start with Britain After Rome (below) and then try Max’s title. I've been studying the period for too long to appreciate how complex it is:)

Britain After Rome by Robin Fleming – only available in print, but at least it makes it easy to annotate. This offers an archaeological interpretation of Britain from 400 to 1070. It is incredibly readable and not just because it has been written without academic referencing. Explaining what ‘might’ have happened from mainly accessing the archaeological finds is a thoroughly intriguing and educational experience (and I do very much appreciate the treatment of Bede in this one).

The Perfect Sword by Paul Gething and Edoardo Albert – a fascinating account of recreating a sword from this era. This is stuffed with information, and although I’d bought it a few years ago, I only remembered having attended an event at Jarrow Hall where a new replica sword was being presented to the museum. I’m so glad I did.

The Earliest English Kings by DP Kirby – an oldie but a goodie (i.e. this was one of my uni texts). A fabulous accounting of the earliest Saxon kingdoms, based on historical sources. It was first published in the 1990s but I would still recommend it. It lives on my shelf and is one of my first ‘go to’ resources when trying to remember some half-forgotten ‘fact.’

For more recommendations, do check out The Dark Age Chronicles post on my blog. (Amazon affilitate links feature on this post).