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This book looks at the military leaders of the Anglo-Saxons over a period of nearly 700 years, so the focus is on topics that are of general relevenance rather than individual leaders. We get sections on the place of the Anglo-Saxon leaders in their society, their arms and equipment, the potential size of armies, the use of cavalry and a brief look at four major battles. Individual leaders pop up from time to time, but not in dedicated biographies.
There is an interesting section on the potential size of Anglo-Saxon armies, using the Staffordshire Horde as evidence. This contained a large number of very high quality sword pommel caps, probably only used by the highest ranking of men. The number present in the horde implies a total force of around 1,000 men and potentially more. This comes from a 7th century context, so later armies from the period of a dominant Wessex and united England would have been much larger.
We get good sections on the arms and armour of the Anglo-Saxon leaders, looking at what has been found and who may have been using each type of item (including a brief look at bows and the evidence that high ranking warriors didn’t use them in battle). There is also a section on the possible use of cavalry, suggesting that it might be more common than we tend to think.
We finish with a look at four battles – Catraeth, Edington, Brunanburh and Maldon. All four saw an Anglo-Saxon army fighting a largely external force – Vikings, Scots, Irish, three victories and one defeat. There isn’t space for long accounts of these battles, but the details are tied back to some of the earlier material, in particular the use of cavalry.
Chapters
Introduction
Select Chronology
The Anglo-Saxon Elite
Armies
Equipment & Weapons
Clothing
Horsemanship
Four Major Battles
Author: Raffaele d’Amato & Stephen Pollington
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 64
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 2023