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english_lady03's review against another edition
4.0
Written in the midst of the 'Dark ages' by a monk of Jarrow monastery, in the modern country of Northumberland, England, this book is more than a historical text, it is the story of a people, and their embryonic nation.
From the invasion of Julius Ceasar to his own time Bede tells the story of Britain in his own words.
Focusing upon the coming of the Saxons, and their conversion to the Catholic religion under Augustine, Bede's voice permeates this text. Sometimes praising the warrior Kings of Legend and history, passionately recording the conversion of his countrymen, or pouring scorn upon the 'Britons', it is an authentically human account.
Though his methodology and the didactic purpose of his writing would be frowned upon by modern Historians, Bede's belief in the importance of verifying accounts, and gleaning as much information as he could from eyewitnesses (or people who had known eyewitnesses) shows that Bede was no amateur and his epithet `the father of English history' is perhaps well deserved.
The nature of Bede's contacts and some of his sources of information shed a fascinating light on the cosmopolitan nature of Medieval monasteries - how else could a monk of in a remote corner of Northern England have known about an the Islamic invasions of North Africa and Spain happening thousands of miles away?
The one time mayor of London Ken Livingstone once rejected this work out of hand because Bede 'did not mention King Arthur' and others in recent years have condemned the history because of Bede's bias against the Britons and other. Whilst the latter is at least historically justifiable; the former is utterly ludicrous as a criticism of The Ecclesiastical History.
Yet for all its shortcomings, be they Bede's obvious bias, polemics and rants, and his unlikely miracle stories, and occasional errors of fact, the Ecclesiastical History still stands as the penultimate contemporary source for the Early Anglo Saxon period and essential reading for students or curious lay-people alike.
Love him or hate him, Bede is inescapable and without the Ecclesiastical History out knowledge of 6th-8th century England would be severely lacking. Indeed, its very existence bears testament to a complex, literate and multi-faceted society, far removed from traditional image of the Anglo Saxons as ignorant, backwards grunting barbarian savages.
From the invasion of Julius Ceasar to his own time Bede tells the story of Britain in his own words.
Focusing upon the coming of the Saxons, and their conversion to the Catholic religion under Augustine, Bede's voice permeates this text. Sometimes praising the warrior Kings of Legend and history, passionately recording the conversion of his countrymen, or pouring scorn upon the 'Britons', it is an authentically human account.
Though his methodology and the didactic purpose of his writing would be frowned upon by modern Historians, Bede's belief in the importance of verifying accounts, and gleaning as much information as he could from eyewitnesses (or people who had known eyewitnesses) shows that Bede was no amateur and his epithet `the father of English history' is perhaps well deserved.
The nature of Bede's contacts and some of his sources of information shed a fascinating light on the cosmopolitan nature of Medieval monasteries - how else could a monk of in a remote corner of Northern England have known about an the Islamic invasions of North Africa and Spain happening thousands of miles away?
The one time mayor of London Ken Livingstone once rejected this work out of hand because Bede 'did not mention King Arthur' and others in recent years have condemned the history because of Bede's bias against the Britons and other. Whilst the latter is at least historically justifiable; the former is utterly ludicrous as a criticism of The Ecclesiastical History.
Yet for all its shortcomings, be they Bede's obvious bias, polemics and rants, and his unlikely miracle stories, and occasional errors of fact, the Ecclesiastical History still stands as the penultimate contemporary source for the Early Anglo Saxon period and essential reading for students or curious lay-people alike.
Love him or hate him, Bede is inescapable and without the Ecclesiastical History out knowledge of 6th-8th century England would be severely lacking. Indeed, its very existence bears testament to a complex, literate and multi-faceted society, far removed from traditional image of the Anglo Saxons as ignorant, backwards grunting barbarian savages.
mothbaby's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
whole new meaning to easter beef
braddy7's review against another edition
4.0
I read this with my daughter for medieval literature. It was an intriguing look into the early history of people of Great Britain but it was also an interesting look into the Catholic Church during this time period.
theaurochs's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating to read such an early work, but the majority of it ultimately is pretty dry. Bede in this way does a great job of emulating the style of the old testament, which I'm told is what he was going for.
It's the moments when he's describing more current events, including lots of miracles, where we get to see his genuine writing talent shine through a little more. Clearly a very intelligent and erudite man, who has set out a large narrative in a clear and easy-to-follow manner despite the colossal volume of names. It is not surprising that this wide-ranging history has endured as long as it has.
It's the moments when he's describing more current events, including lots of miracles, where we get to see his genuine writing talent shine through a little more. Clearly a very intelligent and erudite man, who has set out a large narrative in a clear and easy-to-follow manner despite the colossal volume of names. It is not surprising that this wide-ranging history has endured as long as it has.
josiahdegraaf's review against another edition
4.0
Second time reading through this book. Bede's view of the world challenges modern sensibilities in many ways and it's fascinating to see how much differently Medievals understood the world we live in, especially with regards to miracles and what date Easter should be celebrated on. This book doesn't stay with any one historical figure for too long. But it does show the tremendous arc of how God uses different people for limited periods of time to bring about his plans for Britain over the course of several centuries. Wonderful picture of the Gospel's triumph over a divided people.
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).
Also read in October 2008.
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).
Also read in October 2008.
millie_yule's review against another edition
3.0
Very dense and not that interesting as a pleasure read, especially in books 3, 4, and 5. Got lots of good info for academic use, but I didn’t enjoy reading it.
bibliothecarivs's review against another edition
4.0
My fourth reading of Bede's magnum opus and I struggled for several reasons: it was my first time not reading my beloved Sherley-Price translation and my first time reading the History during a worldwide pandemic and very serious family health crisis. Thank goodness for the good people at LibriVox.org who had recorded an audiobook of Sellar's translation.
bibliothecarivs's review against another edition
5.0
Bede's History (c. AD 730) provides a fascinating look at how Christianity moved across England during the first millennium. The wars and heresies, miracles and conversions all make for an interesting read which earned its author the title "Father of English History" and a place as one of my heroes.