Peter Salway

The Oxford History of Britain traces the story of Britain and its peoples from Roman times to the present day in five compact volumes. The dramatic narrative also explores the relationship between political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of history to provide a vivid and sometimessurprising picture of turmoil and change, which can be seen a pattern of continuity, and the special awareness of nationality and patriotism that has been such a distinctive feature of British society.

From the invasions of Julius Caesar to the unexpected end of Roman rule in the early 5th century AD and the subsequent collapse of society in Britain, this book is an authoritative and comprehensive account of Roman Britain for the general reader. Peter Salway's narrative takes into account the latest research including exciting discoveries of recent years.

Peter Salway's Very Short Introduction to Roman Britain weaves together the results of archaeological investigation and historical scholarship in a rounded and highly readable concise account. He charts life in Roman Britain from the first Roman invasion under Julius Caesar to the final collapse of the Roman Empire in the West around AD 500.

The Frontier area of northern England is the most important and reliable source for archaeologists in existence. The perpetuation of the Roman imperial ideal, the survival of classical art and literature, and the spread of the Christian faith depended on the strength of the Empire's frontier and the people who lived there. In Britain these peoples represent nearly 400 years of a cosmopolitan society with the basic elements of a true civilisation. They had greater freedom and security and were more literate and prosperous than at any previous time or for many centuries after. Dr Salway's study of this area is a detailed investigation of the Romanised part of the civilian population to be made. He describes the people themselves and every aspect of their background and way of life, their legal status and their administrative system. He then examines each of the sites individually, making special use of aerial photographs.