The Origins of the Anglo-Saxons

Jean Manco • £19.95

The language and culture of the English have had an impact on the modern world out of all proportion to the size of their homeland, but what is understood of their ancestry? Traditionally, they have been seen as the descendants of those Germanic peoples who poured into Britain after the Roman legions departed, today known as the Anglo-Saxons. At last, the astonishing progress made in extracting and analysing ancient DNA means that new light can be shed on the movement and migrations of peoples in the past. Skilfully and accessibly blending together results from this cutting-edge DNA technology with new research from archaeology and linguistics, the late Jean Manco reveals a long and adventurous journey before a word of English was spoken. The result is an exciting new history of the English people, and a groundbreaking analysis of their development, coinciding with a landmark exhibition at the British Library.

Leatherwork and Tanning

Lynn Huggins-Cooper • £12.99
Pen & Sword

This book offers a whistle-stop guide to the history of leather craft and tanning. The story begins in prehistory when people discovered, perhaps by chance, that skins exposed to smoke or accidentally soaked in autumnal puddles lasted longer. The second part of the book brings us up to date, via interviews with modern day leather crafting artisans.

Our Boys 1914-1918: who were the fallen of one Oxfordshire valley?

Julie Ann Godson • £10.99

From the workhouse boy who became an early submariner to the officer who proved to be not quite the gentleman, this book traces the very varied lives of the 48 boys and men from the Lower Windrush Valley in Oxfordshire who fell in WW1.