I was sent a review copy of this book for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Pen and Sword for providing the copy of the books so I could tell you all about it!
I remember studying Roman Britain as a module at university, and I loved every second of it. I often think back to things I learned during those days and the questions I have now. Like, why is it that after the Roman era we all started speaking English? And why did the infrastructure fail so dramatically? A new book, The Fall of Roman Britain And Why We Speak English by John Lambshead looks at topics like these with a whole new level of detail.
I loved the book. It was easy to read, it didn't feel too 'academic' to me and I was happy devouring a chapter snuggled up on the sofa after dinner. There is a lot of emphasis on archaeological evidence like the remains of buildings and coins and also - which was new to me - studies on human remains that help confirm the migration of people through this period. As a former research scientist, the author is able to give a new take on the subject of Roman Britain. I also found his analysis on the causes of the failure of Roman Britain interesting. I won't give it away here - but at uni back in the 90s I learned that it was mostly down to Britain's location being far from Rome's centre of government and some shady politics, but there were a number of other factors I didn't know, too. There's also a really handy timeline at the back of the book covering AD43-800 so that you can help get your bearings as you come across events and facts in the book. Well researched, with a long Bibliography at the back so you can check out sources yourself for further reading, this is a book that made me really excited to learn more about Roman Britain and develop what knowledge I had further. I honestly loved it.
If I had to choose a criticism I'd probably say that I wished it had pictures. I'm one of those readers that likes to flick through to the pictures section to help consolidate what I've learned as I read, or just to paint a picture in my mind of what's happening in the book. But then, this is the kind of book that doesn't really need pictures or photos. It's packed with knowledge and interpretations from the author and explores, as I mentioned, topics that were not at the forefront of what I'd learned already about Roman Britain.
Definitely a thumbs up from me, and it'll be a book I'll return to again.
Order it online from Pen and Sword or (affiliate link)---> Amazon or from your local bookshop.
Enjoyed this? You might also like: Roman Britain's Pirate King - A Review, Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England - A Review and Roman Conquests, Britain - A Review.
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