Garnets weren’t mined in England so where on earth did the Anglo-Saxons get their gem stones? ibid.
A thousand years ago on this patch of land in England two great armies clashed. Over 15,000 soldiers from England and France fought a bloody struggle over one of the greatest prizes in Europe: the throne of England. The battle lasted only one day, but it was to change the face of Britain for ever … A fight to the death between Harold the Saxon and William the Norman, and it led to a cultural revolution in Britain. Peter and Dan Snow, Battlefield Britain: Hastings, BBC 2004
Together with his brothers, Harold ran most of the country. He wasn’t just a politician, he was also a warrior … Harold thought he was the obvious successor to the Throne of England. ibid.
William was outraged: he saw Harold’s coronation as a declaration of war. He decided to invade. ibid.
Horses were at the heart of the Norman battle plan ... William’s 2,000 mounted knights gave him an awesome fighting machine. ibid.
In July 2009 one lucky find lifted the lid on a long lost world: an astonishing treasure-trove of gold and silver hidden in a field in Staffordshire in the Midlands. Dan Snow, Saxon Hoard: A Golden Discovery, BBC2 2012
This is the story of the greatest find in generations. ibid.
7th century England, about the time when the Staffordshire Hoard was hidden ... An Anglo-Saxon settlement of the 7th century. A thriving community with more than sixty buildings. ibid.
When the Anglo-Saxons built they used wood ... They didn’t leave too many clues behind them. ibid.
The find of a lifetime ... The true extent of the Hoard soon became clear. ibid.
Late afternoon, Saturday 14th October, the year is 1066 and this is the Battle of Hastings. A vast Norman battleforce is bent on the destruction of Anglo-Saxon England. But 1066 was about far more than just one battle. This is the story of three kings, three battles and three invasions. Dan Snow, 1066: A Year to Conquer England I, BBC 2017
Three warriors all lusting for Edward’s Crown and the English throne. ibid.
Harold was well placed and had support … He had no direct blood link with the Crown. ibid.
April 1066: 12 weeks since Harold Godwinson was crowned king of England. Already two powerful warlords are planning to rip the crown from his head. Dan Snow, 1066: A Year to Conquer England II
Tostig is too angry to wait for his new allies; he decides to go it alone. Two weeks later and England is under attack: Friday 5th May 1066 … Landing unopposed, Tostig ran riot on the Isle of Wight. ibid.
York: the ancient Viking capital of England. For Hardrada his first target and a base from which he could conquer the whole country. ibid.
Harold had killed his rival brother – the exiled earl Tostig, ending a bitter family feud. The Viking Harald Hardrada had died a warrior’s death in his bid for immortal glory. Dan Snow, 1066: A Year to Conquer England III
Now, William’s cavalry has the freedom to wreak terror. While on the ground vicious weapons are inflicting terrible carnage on both sides. ibid.
William’s coronation was far from the end of of his fight for control of England. ibid.
A super-school of art, specialising in metal work, particularly gold ... This was truly a golden age. Dr Sam Newton, Anglo Saxon historian
The biggest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered has been found in a field in Staffordshire. BBC News, September 2009
A strong society with a unique and lasting culture. The Roman colonisation was supposed to have erased the ancient Britons ... But I don’t believe our ancient culture was overwhelmed as easy as that. Dr Francis Pryor, Britain AD: King Arthur’s Britain I, Channel 4 2004
Far from a dark age this was a time of huge creativity and development. ibid.
Arthur is the ultimate commodity, a ready-made hero who has been hijacked by history. ibid.
Archaeologists are starting to radically rethink the Roman invasion of Britain. ibid.
Pre-Roman Britain was in fact a collection of often feudal tribal kingdoms. ibid.
Britain turned its back on Rome and turned to an independent future. ibid.
With the departure of the Roman troops historians imagined the end of history, and from their empty pages we have conjured a desolate wasteland … We call this the Dark Ages. In actual fact, sophisticated societies developed in Britain in the Dark Ages. Dr Francis Pryor, Britain AD: King Arthur’s Britain II
If he existed at all, [he] rose to power in these troubled years … Was Arthur invented to make up for a lack of real history? ibid.
Dark Age Britain was a time of intellectual as well as economic advance. ibid.
There is no archaeological evidence for the Anglo-Saxon invasion. Dr Francis Pryor, Britain AD: King Arthur’s Britain III
Sutton Hoo ... This was the grave of a very rich man. ibid.
I don’t believe there was a hole in British society. ibid.
This continuously occupied landscape; there were no gaps of occupation, no war cemeteries. ibid.
Bede, like all historians, had his own particular axe to grind ... Bede invented a new race of people, the Anglo-Saxons, who came to be known as the English. ibid.
The real people of Britain A.D. did not only survive an influx of foreign influences but actually flourished because of it. ibid.
The great parliament held here in Westminster, held by Simon de Montfort in the name of Henry III, the first parliament ... Professor David Carpenter, lecture February 2015, ‘Magna Carta and the Mountford Parliament’
Magna Carta had laid the foundations for the development of parliament. ibid.
The first official use of the term parliament was in 1237. ibid.
This is the last journey of King John – the Magna Carta king. Ben Robinson, The Last Journey of the Magna Carta King, BBC 2015
It would lead to the invasion of England, the country ripped apart by civil war, and the king dead. ibid.
In July 1192 Richard the Lionheart, King of England, valiant crusader knight, stood with his Holy Warriors preparing for a strike on Jerusalem. Thomas Asbridge, The Crusades 2/3: The Clash of Titans, BBC 2012
Jihad literally means struggle, but in the Middle Ages this could represent a fight against internal impurity or a sacred physical struggle – a Holy War, and its message could be spread by poetry. ibid.
Saladin was quickly becoming the premier Muslim leader in the East ... He united the disparate Muslim factions into a coherent army. ibid.
The Christian army marching in the height of summer was being led into a waterless killing zone. ibid.
Jerusalem was back in Muslim hands. ibid.
In June 1191 Richard the Lionheart sailed down the coast of Palestine. ibid.
The Third Crusade had achieved a categorical victory. ibid.
During Richard’s long absence from home his brother John had been plotting to take control of England. ibid.
Against his better judgment the Lionheart began a second advance having effectively lost control of his Crusade. ibid.
The Lionheart failed to lead the third Crusade to victory. ibid.
Two centuries of religious war. Dr Thomas Asbridge, The Crusades 3/3: Victory & Defeat, BBC 2012
These Christian outposts were ruled by bickering warlords. ibid.
The power and wealth of the Hospitallers. This is a monument to rival anything in the Middle Ages ... Like their Templar brethren, they embraced the Crusading ideal. ibid.
Commercial contacts between East and West blossomed. ibid.
Louis was determined to bring Jerusalem back into the Christian fold. ibid.
Louis IX was the perfect Crusader king. ibid.
The Mongols and the Mamluks are the big players. ibid.