ANGLO-SAXON History Reading List (Recommended Books)

Welcome to your Anglo-Saxon History reading list of recommended books. I’ve covered a wealth of books from historical, to cultural, to genetic, to archaeological to inspire your imagination.

The list includes books that I have read or have come recommended on the subject; and while no where near exhaustive (there are literally thousands upon thousands of Anglo-Saxon books that have been published!), they are all worth a read for sure and you can read them in any order you like.

Who Were the Anglo-Saxons?

When using the term “Anglo-Saxons” I am really describing the Anglo-Saxons in England. According to Sir Frank Stenton (the first book on the list) the Anglo-Saxon tribes first set foot in England in 449 AD and have essentially never left as many of us with English heritage still carry remnant DNA (chromosomes) from those times.

Other authors have the Anglo-Saxons marauding through England a bit earlier in the 4th century.

Anglo-Saxon Tribes

Bryan Sykes estimates that the percentage of males with “Anglo-Saxon” Y-chromosome markers run about 20% in East Anglia, the highest in England (Sykes 2006: 286). HINT for the uninitiated: any place name with “Ang-“ or similar variant, such as ‘England’ or ‘East Anglia,’ has its root in the Anglo-Saxons; or, more specifically, the tribe called the Angles.

It is therefore important to know for your Anglo-Saxon history reading list that the actual Anglo-Saxons are a conglomerate of at least 3 different Germanic tribes: the ANGLES, the SAXONS, and the JUTES. Each of these distinct tribes invaded England together, at different times, as both allies and enemies.

Anglo-Saxon Place Names

Like place names in England with the term “Anglia,” there are also place names with the term “Sex.” No, it’s not that obvious. The suffix “-sex“ is short for SAXON (as in the Saxon tribe mentioned above). It should really be spelt “-sax.”

NOTE: It isn’t spelt “-sax” because in its original form Saxon [sæksən] the vowel is in a stressed position at the beginning of the word (penultimate position) and realized as a low front lax vowel, [æ]. In its suffix form -sex [səks], it is now at the end of the word and therefore in an unstressed position and realized as mid vowel schwa [ə], just like the “o” in the original word Saxon [sæksən] is actually! Just repeat the word pairs “Saxon” and “Wessex” and you’ll hear the difference! So, the suffix “-sex” is spelt that way because the letter E is a closer approximation of the actual sound of the word – it’s all very orthographic.

Places like Wessex, Sussex, Essex are actually coordinates for where the Saxon tribes fought, carved out territory, and settled. Wessex = ‘West Saxon,” Sussex = ‘South Saxon,’ and Essex = ‘East Saxon.’

Somewhat unoriginally, the JUTES settled in Kent. They were the smallest of the Anglo-Saxon tribes and I, for one, am just glad we don’t have to go around referring to this whole lot as the Anglo-Saxon-Jutes! We might have had to invent a new acronym at that point.

The Anglo-Saxon Age

We have a lot to thank for the Anglo-Saxon invasion of England, actually.

The informal history goes that the Romans were looking for hired guns to help fight the native Britons who were unceasing in their quest to take their land back. The Roman Empire, already beginning to collapse, called upon Angle and Saxon tribes, then living in Continental Europe ranging from the north of the modern-day German city of Hamburg all the way up to Denmark (see map).

Meet Hengist and Horsa. Not being entirely satisfied at their treatment by the Romans, these two, being superior warriors, decided to have a go at acquiring their own land by force. Interestingly, historian Marc Morris kind of slags them off as not having “any basis in historical reality” in the 2nd book on our Anglo-Saxon History reading list (Morris 2021: 26).

No matter how you look at it, the Anglo-Saxons established a foothold in England that would never be relinquished until the Norman invasion in 1066 – for even then the Anglo-Saxon royal lines continued through marriage into the Norman Dynasty of England.

The Normans being of Viking descent!

Anglo-Saxon Technology

You will learn all about the Anglo-Saxon age by reading in any of the books on this list; however, a bit of quick background can be fun to help kick off your Anglo-Saxon history reading list.

Although the Anglo-Saxons were technically invaders they did bring with them many technological innovations then in play in continental Europe. These technologies included advancements in farming, building, burial practices, religion, place names, writing, poetry, and language.

It is also worthy to note that the Anglo-Saxons were NOT Vikings. It’s a fair point to remember.

Anglo-Saxons and Normans

Although somewhat similar in Northern European origins and feistiness, the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings actually did battle with one another over centuries for control of England; even the Norman Invasion had Viking overtures as the seat of power at that time was just recently contested by Cnut the Great’s descendants.

Speaking of the Norman Invasion of 1066, that date is traditionally signaled as the end of the Anglo-Saxon reign of England with Harold Godwinson being its last king.

The Anglo-Saxon age is seated firmly in the Early Middle Ages, extending just beyond into the following centuries. It was an age that was defined by the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the so-called barbarian tribes of Europe under King Charlemagne who rose to establish themselves as the great nations and people of Europe we know today!

Enjoy your Anglo-Saxon History reading list! Feel free to read any or all of them in whichever order you choose!

Also, check out my “Books About Books: A Few Couture Recommendations” post if you like!

ANGLO-SAXON History Reading List (Recommended Books)

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Anglo-Saxon History Reading List References

• Stenton, Frank. 2001. Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Morris, Marc. 2021. The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, 400-1066. New York: Pegasus Press.
• Article “5 Remarkable Books from the Anglo-Saxon Period” on HistoryHit.com

Anglo-Saxon History Reading List on YouTube