The Making of England places the history of early England firmly within the European sphere of influence. It draws upon the latest multi-disciplinary research and debates from science, archaeology, literature and documentary evidence, with an eye on contemporary concerns and perceptions of English history. Toby Purser demonstrates the impact of the continuous continental interaction across the period c. 410 to 1534 in the shaping of England, from the early pan-Germanic to the Scandinavian, Norman-French, Angevin and Gascon. Crucially, there was no inevitability in the emergence of a single, unified state in the Anglo-Saxon period and after 1066 the English state was bound to continental possessions by trade or war. Baronial rebellion, not popular demand, led to the devolution of powers from the Crown via Magna Carta and parliament, but this was not part of a manifest destiny - of 'exceptional' English freedom. Literacy and learning was exclusively Christian, to the detriment of pagan cultures and achievements, and thus the first historians wrote only from a singular perspective, that of the Christian supremacy. English culture was subsumed into the new Norman hegemony, along with attempts to rewrite or obliterate Welsh, Scottish and Irish history. This book will make you think again about what it means to be English.

About the Author
Toby Purser holds postgraduate degrees from the Universities of Oxford and Southampton with special interest in medieval England, particularly social and political aspects. He is currently a university lecturer, teaching History of Education, History of Childhood and Heritage, all of which afford him a uniquely different perspective on English history. He has published peer-reviewed articles and textbooks.


Book Information
ISBN 9781398105065
Author Toby Purser
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Amberley Publishing
Publisher Amberley Publishing
Weight(grams) 609g