Did you know Anglo-Saxons were, on average, as tall as we are today? That women could, and did, hold positions of power and influence? That it was customary for rich people, on their deathbeds, to free their slaves? All this, and much more, is revealed in this readable book. It is social history at its best. Organised month by month and thus focusing on the main activities of that month, the book builds to a detailed guide of life before the Norman invasion. An essential background to those events that start off Key Stage 3.