"Blending an engaging narrative with clear explanations of key themes and sources, this undergraduate textbook deconstructs the early history of Britain's island nations within an accessible framework. Using extensive illustrations, maps and selections from crucial primary sources, students will examine the island as a collective entity, comparing political histories and institutions as well as societies, beliefs and economies. Each chapter foregrounds questions of identity and the meaning of 'Britain' in this period, encouraging interrogation and contextualisation of sources, including the latest debates and problems. Featuring timelines, a glossary, end of chapter questions, suggestions for further reading and a companion website, students can drive their own understanding of how the polities and societies of early medieval Britain fitted together and into the wider world, and firmly grasp the formative stages and developments of British history"--