An Alternative History of Britain Audiobook Libro.fm

Taking a similar approach to his successful If Rome Hadnt Fallen Timothy Venning explores the various decision points in a fascinating period of British history and the alternative paths that it might have taken

Dr Timothy Venning starts within an outline of the process by which much of Britain came to be settled by Germanic tribes after the end of Roman rule as far as it can be determined from the sparse and fragmentary sources He then moves on to discuss a series of scenarios which might have altered the course of subsequent history dramatically For example was a reconquest by the native British ever a possibility under Arthur or someone else Which of the AngloSaxon kingdoms might have united England sooner and would this have kept the Danes out And of course what if Harold Godwinson had won at Hastings

While necessarily speculative all the scenarios are discussed within the framework of a deep understanding of the major driving forces tensions and trends that shaped British history and help to shed light upon them In so doing they help the listener to understand why things panned out as they did as well as what might have been