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Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West, 376 - 568 (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks) Illustrated Edition

by Guy Halsall (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 47 ratings
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This is a major survey of the barbarian migrations and their role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the creation of early medieval Europe, one of the key events in European history. Unlike previous studies it integrates historical and archaeological evidence and discusses Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe and North Africa, demonstrating that the Roman Empire and its neighbours were inextricably linked. A narrative account of the turbulent fifth and early sixth centuries is followed by a description of society and politics during the migration period and an analysis of the mechanisms of settlement and the changes of identity. Guy Halsall reveals that the creation and maintenance of kingdoms and empires was impossible without the active involvement of people in the communities of Europe and North Africa. He concludes that, contrary to most opinions, the fall of the Roman Empire produced the barbarian migrations, not vice versa.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0521435439
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0521435437
  3. Edition
    Illustrated
  4. Publisher
    Cambridge University Press
  5. Publication date
    February 18, 2008
  6. Part of series
    Cambridge Medieval Textbooks
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    5.43 x 1.54 x 8.5 inches
  9. Print length
    614 pages
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is important not only as a systematic statement of important current views on how the last Mediterranean empire of antiquity devolved into a series of recognisably European polities, but also for its impressive fusion of seemingly disparate archaeological and literary/historical materials. A genuinely important contribution to its field, by striving to be accessible to those outside its discipline, this book should contribute beneficially to wider discussions of historical change." -The English Historical Review

"...should be read by anyone interested in the early Middle Ages, the historical use of archaeological evidence, theories and practices of ethnicity, and, finally the Roman Empire and its ultimate collapse." -M.A. Claussen, Speculum

Book Description

An examination of the barbarian migrations and their role in the creation of medieval Europe.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; Illustrated edition (February 18, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 614 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521435439
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521435437
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.84 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.43 x 1.54 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 47 ratings

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Guy Halsall

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
47 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

tml_mpls
5.0 out of 5 stars An Original and Though Provoking Synthesis...
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2012
Verified Purchase
This is one of my favorite historical periods, and I've read a number of histories of this period, including most of the recent ones and had actually held off on purchasing this because I wondered if it would simply re-tread old ground. I'm pleased to say that this book was an excellent read and contained several highly original ideas that were well thought out and truly provided me with new ways of looking at the period. These include: the true nature of early barbarian settlement, the origin and role of Alaric; the formation of the Frankish kingdom; a quite well thought out analysis of developments in Britain after the fall that engaged the existing evidence to a greater degree than the many books that simply skip over this province, while stopping well short of some of the excesses in other books that analyze this same puzzle; the extent is Visigothic control over Spain, and the role of the moors in Africa and the Vandal kingdom; among other things.

In general, Halsall really excels at calling out the educated guesses made by historians about the period which have morphed over time into accepted facts. He reintroduces a healthy sense of uncertainty and offers up alternative ideas and explanations that encourage you to think more deeply about the period. The primary sources for the 5th century are thin and the desire to explain the fall of the Western Roman Empire in a simple narrative is strong. There is more than one way of interpreting the available evidence and opening the doors to other possibilities helps breath new life into the story of the fall of Rome.

That said, there were some parts of the book that made for slow reading. The obligatory historiography chapter and ethnicity chapter at times felt a bit like eating peas so I could get to dessert. Sure both concepts play an important role in understanding the period and are used to great effect in the subsequent history, they're just less interesting than the actual narrative and analysis that follows. Overall, I rate it 5 stars and would encourage anyone interested in the period to purchase this book, particularly if you've read and enjoyed other recent histories of the period (Wickham, Heather, etc).
30 people found this helpful
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Lori Reeser
5.0 out of 5 stars New Synthesis
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2010
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A major addition to this growing field. Knowledge of the transition from the Roman world to the European world (from about 400AD to about 800AD, aka Late Antiquity, Early Medieval) has been growing rapidly. This knowledge is just now being synthesized and published.

This book is from the perspective of the movements of the non-Roman barbarians into what is now western Europe. The author emphasizes the fluidity of ethnic identification as well as the relatively low numbers of the invaders, while acknowledging the major impact they had on culture, society and politics.

I would recommend this book plus  Framing the Early Middle Ages: Europe and the Mediterranean, 400-800  by Chris Wickham. In combination they give an excellent view of the changes that occurred, and the current ideas as to why. These are both upper undergraduate, early graduate level reading. I haven't read it yet, but  The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians by Peter Heather is frequently cited by both authors (although mostly to respectfully disagree).

It helps if you have a basic understanding of the history of this time.  The Civilization of the Middle Ages: A Completely Revised and Expanded Edition of Medieval History  by Norman Cantor is a good start, although he(necessarily) does not go in depth. If you want to read a classic  The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire  by Gibbon is also a start. (It's where I started.)
22 people found this helpful
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buddhawannabe
5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore the one hostile and misguided review of this book
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2015
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I would like to respond to the review below that says there is "nothing new" in this book, and I want to do it in a conspicuous place (not in an appended comment which people are less likely to click on), because that is an unjust and untrue remark. Also, the reviewer says that he would have appreciated the book if he had been reading it for a university course but that in his retirement he just wants the story. In the front matter of my copy of this book it says that this is part of a series "aimed primarily at advanced students and faculty." If he had bought a book on gourmet French cuisine, would he complain because the book didn't give instructions on how to fry up hot dogs and make scrambled eggs? I admit that I am a history professor (though not with a specialty in this period), and I found the book quite useful and readable. OF COURSE it reviews previous literature and gives a (somewhat dry) summary of the events of the period. That is what books like this are supposed to do, and Halsall does it quite well.
18 people found this helpful
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Megann Olsson
5.0 out of 5 stars this was a really great book to start with
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2017
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As someone who knows diddly squat about barbarians, this was a really great book to start with. He goes in depth and really helps the barbarian beginner understand what is going on.
One person found this helpful
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Lucius Verus
5.0 out of 5 stars The best textbook overview of the subject available
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2009
Guy Halsall's Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West is about the best book if you are looking for an overview of modern interpretations of the so called Migration Period. Despite the apparent regional limitation to the 'Roman West' the book also covers a lot of history relating to the 'Roman East' as well. It is a shame and unfair that the rating of this book was marred by a review how took issue with the price.
19 people found this helpful
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Anton Reger
3.0 out of 5 stars He has lots of words
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2015
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I think he wrote this for his fellow historians only. There is nothing new, but he flogs the recent literature to death. When I was studying history in graduate school, I would have appreciated it; but, in my retirement, I just wanted to know the story. I wanted to know about the "barbarian migrations," not his analysis of the historiography. JB Bury wrote the "Barbarian Invasions of Europe," published in about 1920: it is much more to the point. If Bury lacks some of the latest archaeological evidence, Halsall does little to update us.
8 people found this helpful
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audio_ut_fiam
5.0 out of 5 stars Barbarian Migrations
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2008
Read this book and incorporate it's views of the so-called migrations (formerly invasions) with other contemporary views of the early Middle Ages.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

peter
5.0 out of 5 stars Champion
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2021
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Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West 376-568, Guy Halsall, 2007, 591 pages all in

This is a great book and although it doesn't deal specifically with Anglo-Saxon England, it is nevertheless valuable to those with an interest in the early Anglo-Saxon period. It's a beast of a book, with absolutely loads of research to take in, but as Halsall writes elegantly, it isn't a burden to read.

What this book provides is context. All too often England is seen as being separate to the continent and through giving a thorough account of the reasons for the decline of the Roman West and for the various barbarian migrations it gives any student of 5th and 6th century England a much deeper understanding of the bigger picture and how England fitted into this. One particular example is the probable context for St Germanus of Auxerre's visits to Britain. I made a surprising number of notes from it that were applicable to my interest in Anglo-Saxon England.

Halsall is excellent on the reasons why early Roman sources on the Germans shouldn't be extrapolated from when dealing with later Germans and also the general inapplicability of extrapolating from these sources when trying to say something about the Anglo-Saxons. He convincingly demonstrates how ethnicity is multi-layered and fluid, shows the difficulty of governing a realm of any size without a literate bureaucracy and makes sense of a confusing era that is far more nuanced than the popularly understood narrative would have you consider.

Interestingly none of the barbarian tribes wished to bring down Rome, but instead the decisive acts that brought about the fall of Rome had their genesis in factional power struggles at the centre of the empire. Beyond this, Halsall made some important points about migration into the empire often being linked to internal conflict and he says some very interesting things about the land question of the different successor states, showing how each one would have been different and would once again depend upon context.

I was rather unfortunate in that I bought an ex library copy with lots of passages underlined and a spine that if not broken, felt at least fractured. So may whoever described it as 'acceptable' quality step on a lot of Lego first thing in a morning.
One person found this helpful
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William Craw
5.0 out of 5 stars The “Germanic” origins of Alaric.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2019
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Living near Carcassonne beside a hilly outcrop called Alaric, the name of a “barbarian” Gothic king, I was curious about the man and his origins. Curiosity satisfied!
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Leonie Potter
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2015
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Very useful discussion of new interpretations of this period.
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