This is a pretty comprehensive 'brief' history of the Anglo-Saxons - from the decline of the Romano-British culture in (what we now call) England up until the arrival of the Normans and indeed beyond. Hindley investigates the culture, religion and even the legal practices of the people that created what has now become the world's lingua franca as well as developing what can be argued to be a precursor of the modern nation state. The constant power struggles make for a compelling political backdrop to the narrative.