For centuries the Roman Empire had commanded great tranches of Europe, and with its light snuffed out, an age of darkness fell on the lands that had once basked in the Roman sun. Yet though the period between Rome’s fall and the Norman conquest of Britain was riven with conflict, it was not as dark an age as you might at first suppose. Turn the page to begin a journey into an age of drama, adventure, and exploration...
Welcome
Darkness to Light • Are the stereotypes about the Early Middle Ages really true, or a Renaissance-era fiction?
The Dark Ages • Everything you wanted to know about But were too afraid to ask
The Last Days of the West • The earth-shattering collapse of the Western Roman Empire was the result of invasions, corruption and cruelty
The Byzantine Empire • The dramas of the Eastern Empire were a match for anything that the West had been able to offer
Rise of the Holy Empire • The dominant institution in the lives of kings and peasants alike, the Church promised heavenly salvation to all yet frequently delivered earthly schism
The Seven Kingdoms • Out of the chaos of the end of an empire, seven kingdoms emerged, known as the Heptarchy
Blood and Sea • Traders, raiders, explorers and conquerors: Vikings changed the world
Early Viking Raids on Britain • From Lindisfarne to the Great Heathen Army
When Vikings Ruled the Waves • Portrayed as bloodthirsty pirates pillaging innocent villagers, Vikings also ruled the waves with a lucrative trade network
Lost Kingdoms of the Vikings • From Canada to Constantinople, the Norse raiders pillaged and plundered the known world in search of treasure and territory
Charlemagne • The ‘father of Europe’ and ruler of much of France and Germany, Charlemagne made his name as a king but left a legacy as the first Roman emperor since the 5th century
Kingdom of the Northmen • How the Vikings turned a small duchy into a great Medieval power
Alfred vs The Vikings • How a defeated and abandoned king rose from the ultimate underdog to become one of the most celebrated monarchs in English history
The Danelaw • What happened when the Vikings settled in England?
Emperor of the North • 1,000 years ago, a young Viking warrior became king of England. No one at the time can have expected how remarkable his reign would be
The Queenqueen who Ruledruled Kingsk • For 50 years, one woman stood at the centre of the affairs of three kingdoms
The Pious King with No Heir • Edward brought the country stability and prosperity, but his failure to secure the succession to the throne left England open to war
The Last Anglo-Saxon King • Harold, England’s most powerful earl, claimed the throne on King Edward’s death. But to hold on to the crown, Harold knew he would have to fight
The Last Viking King • With the Viking Age setting in the west, one man set out to reclaim the lands, power and culture of his forefathers. His name was Harald Hardrada, and this is his story
William the Conqueror • Discover how incredible battlefield courage and brutal treatment of his enemies led the bastard of Normandy to become king of England
Clash of Crowns: 1066 • When three kings rose to claim Edward the Confessor’s crown, England’s fate would be decided with steel and blood
The Norman Conquests • The Normans didn’t just conquer England. These ex-Vikings carved out kingdoms and principalities through Europe and beyond
All About History History of the Dark Ages (2nd Ed)