Britain was a place of conflict in the Dark Ages, between the departure of the Romans and the Norman Conquest. Clashes of allegiance, competition for territory and resources, and intense rivalries among the warlords and kings gave rise to frequent outbreaks of fighting. This was the time of legendary leaders, like Arthur, Alfred and Canute, and of literally hundreds of battles. In this fascinating book, Peter Marren investigates this confused era of warfare, looks for the reality behind the myths, and uses the techniques of modern scholarship to show how battles were fought in that brutal age, where they were fought and why. SELLING POINTS: Uses the techniques of modern scholarship to reconstruct the battles of 1500 years ago Explores how Dark Age battles were fought, where they were fought, and why Recreates ten major battles in compelling detail Gazetteer of battles with locations and visitor information 76 b/w illustrations.