Long description:

* The Idea of Anglo Saxon England, 1066-1901 presents the first systematic review of the ways in which Anglo-Saxon studies have evolved from their beginnings to the twentieth century
* Tells the story of how the idea of Anglo-Saxon England evolved from the Anglo-Saxons themselves to the Victorians, serving as a myth of origins for the English people, their language, and some of their most cherished institutions
* Combines original research with established scholarship to reveal how current conceptions of English identity might be very different if it were not for the discovery - and invention - of the Anglo-Saxon past
* Reveals how documents dating from the Anglo-Saxon era have greatly influenced modern attitudes toward nationhood, race, religious practice, and constitutional liberties
* Includes more than fifty images of manuscripts, early printed books, paintings, sculptures, and major historians of the era