1 THE MAKING OF THE KINGDOM 55 B,C. to A.D, 1170 by Oswald Harland, M.A. Illustrated by C. P. Shilton Hardcover
NEWNES NARRATIVE HISTORIES
General Editor : LESLIE PAUL
SERIES ONE
The Story of Our People-1
THE MAKING
OF THE KINGDOM
55 B,C. to A.D, 1170
by Oswald Harland, M.A.
Illustrated by C. P. Shilton Hardcover
…INTRODUCTION
THE early history of these islands is often dark and
obscure, and nobody is mnore aware of this truth than
the historians themselves. The main fact that shines
through the troubled darkness is that, through chaos and
conflict, through invasion, conquest and settlement,
through force of arms, strength of will and compromise,
there slowly emerged an idea of unity, of monarchy, of the
king's government, which, with thẹ Norman kings, became
at last effective. This fact should constantly be borne in
mind in the reading of this first volume.
The second fact is that, though the intensive study of
local history is to be commended as giving rise to fervent
enquiry, conscientious recording and stimulating results,
there are necessarily gaps in local history which may by no
means be filled in, and this is especially true of Celtic,
Roman and Anglo-Saxon times. Nothing, therefore, can
replace the .kind of narrative that covers in bold, effective
outline the events of those troubled centuries.
Wherever possible, in this volume as in the others in this
series, chroniclers, poets and historians are allowed to
speak for themselves: the poets chant and the monkish
scribe murmurs to himself as he records. Their voices come
down the centuries with freshness unimpaired, and the
extracts are intended to bring before the young reader not
only the most vividly dramatic events but also something
of the social and mental climate of the times, something of
the savage and picturesque quality, something of the
authentic. Occasionally and with difidence the author
offers something of his own by way of translation or
original sketch, and here and there employs material by
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