A social history of England, 900-1200 /

This interdisciplinary essay collection both provides a synthesis of recent research in the fields of Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman social history and presents a challenge to the standard periodization of medieval English history. A broadly conceived social history, the collection acknowledges political structures but strives to decenter the Norman Conquest. Editors Crick and van Houts deliberately focus on "small steps and individual actions" rather than political events or changing dynasties. Each thematic section addresses questions of periodization and historical agency. Essays in the "Land Use and People" section, for example, explore the increasing mastery of nature from the building of water mills and fish weirs to the canalization of rivers and the management of woodlands--developments that both preceded and followed the conquest. A glossary, time line, and bibliography increase the collection's accessibility to undergraduates; this collection should prove useful for advanced undergraduates. Besides providing students with a solid grounding in medieval English social history, these essays demonstrate the wide variety of sources available to historians. These include traditional narrative sources (saints' lives, annals, and chronicles), documentary sources (surveys, wills, and law codes), and material culture (archaeological remains and material objects). Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. Werner Kalamazoo College