Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Anglo-Saxons and the folk of Early Britain lived at a time referred to as the Dark Ages, for good reason. Written evidence of their capers is very limited and those manuscripts and documents nearly always seem to have a particular angle to peddle, especially those written more than five hundred years later. So, in effect, the whole period is a mystery.

This non-fiction book is richly based in evidence and some of the assumptions we take for granted are questioned. For example, the idea that the Angles, Saxons and Jutes came to British shores after the Romans moved out, with the tales of King Vortigern and his request for Germanic military support, is readily dismissed because of the Saxon artefacts found in Britain before that time. Good historical research here. It follows that the battles with the legendary Merlin and dragons probably aren't true either - because there was no need. Or at least, no evidence - of course.

The legends such as King Arthur and the leader Ambrosius are investigated using sound logic and deeply researched evidence as well as basic structure of kings and overlords at this time and how they developed after the Romans left. How many of these figures are real men or fictitious characters is a long-standing Medieval mystery, and Venning takes a look at this in depth.

​The book has ten chapters each asking a question, - within the Anglo-Saxon period from the departure of the Romans to the arrival of William the Conqueror - including mysterious deaths of royal men, the heritage of certain kingdoms and the legitimate claims to ruling England made by William of Normandy, he who defeated the last English king in 1066. Analysis of primary and secondary sources are neatly packaged and well written.

A new and enthralling piece of Migration Period history for the enthusiast, although it is readable for the layman, some previous knowledge of the period will be helpful. Exciting new original research, including DNA evidence, makes this one for the for the history shelf. Recommended.

NetGalley, AJ Sefton

If you are interested in Early Britain history , then it's a must have for you..
Excellent. Recommended.

NetGalley, ALEXIOS PAPADOPOULOS

Royal Mysteries by Timothy Venning* is a fascinating, well researched, well analysed, and just very interesting to read. I recommend the book to anyone with a keen interest in the period, as it is a scholarly book, best enjoyed by people with prior knowledge. In its 10 chapters it touches on many mysteries from that period, ending with my favourite one, the dynastic succession of 1066.

These mysteries are not only in England, but Welsh kingdoms and Picts are a part of the history too, which was great. I think I enjoyed the part about the Picts best because I remembered from my visit to a small museum near Inverness about them. It surely is a difficult period of history to study due to the lack in available resources, so it makes for a fascinating read.

The Anglo-Saxons and Early Britain is the second book in the series. I loved the first one and I loved this one too. The chapters are short and concise, but filled with interesting details. As I mentioned, some prior knowledge would be great, to fully appreciate the scholarly research done by the author. Although anyone that is interested in this topic can read the book and do a bit of research when it comes to a specific place or something similar. The book also offers a very good insight into the difficulties faced by medieval historians when so much information is lost and what is recorded is biased at best. His remarks about Bede’s intentions when he recorded the history are great too. As one can assume, there are lots of mentions of chroniclers such as Bede and William of Malmesbury and their work is nicely critiqued.

5 stars

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Coffee and Books

The book split into 10 chapters looks at various royal stories, kings and kingdoms of England, and the way others interacted with them with relations from abroad and the Celtic countries. Although I’m still learning about this period, I’m thoroughly enjoying reading books like this, by authors who clearly know what they’re on about. Highly recommended and an enjoyable read.

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The History Fella

As featured in: 'Men or myth? Timothy Venning attempts to separate history from legend when it comes to Kent's founding brothers, Hengest and Horsa.'

Kent Life

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Wow this is a richly detailed book on the subject of the very complex relationships of kingship in Anglo Saxon Britain. I confess to picking out chapters to read closely and scanned the other chapters to get a full overview of this book. It contains a great deal of very well researched detail and I do not envy the authors' homework involved. Tim Venning does an exemplary job in making this book at once accessible to lay interested readers and academic scholars interested in this period. I enjoyed it thoroughly, well done Pen & Sword for another choice read. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of Royal Mysteries::The Anglo-Saxons in early Britain. I look forward to more books from the author.

NetGalley, Carol Elizabeth Keogh

Timothy Venning has done it again! This was an amazing book, and I enjoyed reading through the stories that were contained in this book. There was a tremendous amount of research done, and the stories kept you engaged, leaving even those with those who love history learning something new!

I have been impressed by what I have read by Mr. Venning, and I very much look forward to seeing what he comes out with in the future.

Grab this book and enjoy some fun stories!

NetGalley, Rebecca Hill

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I know relatively little about the period in history generally known as the Dark Ages. There isn’t much in the way of written record and the accepted versions of events are not always accurate or reliable. It’s an important era as the foundations were laid for both a united and disunited country and shaped Britain.

Royal Mysteries is packed with detail. As a lay reader, I’ve tackled it in chunks. There’s a huge amount of information and I guess a certain level of knowledge is anticipated. That said, I’ve found this a compelling and fascinating read. I’ve learned a great deal about the early kingdoms and how verbal narratives by the powerful have shaped our understanding. Timothy Venning’s research appears to be meticulous and the bibliography is well referenced and an excellent source of further reading for those who want to explore the period further. There’s a detailed index and some photos even though I found some of the content a little dense, I’ve really enjoyed this modern take on the Dark Ages. There’s much food for thought and many of the conclusions are persuasive.

NetGalley, Anita Wallas

I'm fascinated by Early Britain history and found this book compelling and informative.
It's well researched, full of information and it kept me hooked.
Recommended.

NetGalley, Anna Maria Giacomasso