The Modern Scholar: The Anglo-Saxon World

By: Prof. Michael D. C. Drout

Narrated by: Michael D. C. Drout

Had the Angles and Saxons not purposefully migrated to the isles of the Britons and brought with them their already-well-developed use of language, Angelina Jolie may never have appeared in the movie Beowulf.

Professor Michael D.C. Drout is at his best when lecturing on the fascinating history, language, and societal adaptations of the Anglo-Saxons. He not only presents their storytelling abilities using their own words; he does so in their own voice - the incredibly melodious Old English.

©2009 Michael D.C. Drout (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Amazingly good

I came to this Lecture reluctantly. I have been very disappointed by other "Modern Scholar Courses" finding them either superficial, intellectually or academically sloppy, or mediocre at best. Also I had no enthusiasm for the subject. The introduction did not help, making it seem like more of the same...

BUT, this was a truly fascinating and wonderful read. The prof is amazing. He is as academically rigorous as I could wish and he teaches his subject in a very complex yet engaging way. His work is easy to follow and very interesting despite delving very deep into many academic debates.

I STRONGLY recommend this course to anyone from late High School on through PhD level. This is just well done scholarship in a very interesting way. The first and last lectures are not great but the stuff in between is phenomenal. I now want to learn much more on this subject.

Again, this is not how I have viewed other Modern Scholar productions which I have been profoundly disappointed with. This absolutely worth the time and money.

Enjoyable and detailed lecture about a people.

This is very well rounded survey of the Anglo Saxon history in the British isle. Most history courses tend to paint middle ages with a rather broad strokes, this set of lecture however fine tuned the perspective that makes it unique and very refreshing. I love Michael Drout's lectures.

Excellent!

I truly enjoyed this. I listened to it really just because this is one of my favorite topics. I was also teaching it at the same time and found some info that I could share with my students. Drout is a good lecturer. I can tell he really enjoys this topic, and I imagine that his class would be very worthwhile.

Lively, rich insights, amazing Old English speech

Prof. Michael D. C. Drout is not only an enthusiastic and accomplished scholar. He is also a fantastic narrator of his own work. Drout is blessed with a theatrical voicing genius that is never excessive and wonderfully engaging. His style is welcoming and street-friendly. The explanations are pitched to undergraduate learners -- but valuable even for seasoned academics. Whenever there is debate on how to interpret a text, or an archeological find, Drout acknowledges other informed viewpoints. And his passion for Anglo-Saxon studies is exhilarating.

The best part of any Drout lecture on Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, or any of the old-to-middle Germanic languages is his AMAZING delivery of the old tongues. His spoken R's are vivid and transporting. The diction is precise and lilting yet crystal clear. When he starts declaiming Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, or the bible of Alfred the Great -- it's riveting to hear. He obviously loves Anglo-Saxon history, culture, and language.

These lectures divide the post-Roman-pre-Norman period into sections = 500-600, 600-700, 700-800, 800-900, and up to that fateful day in 1066. The story begins with the first migrations of Angles, Jutes, and Saxons, then the Danes, until the Norman Invasion - which Drout nicely unpacks as one among many Viking strikes. This framework imposes a tidy order in a highly un-orderly slice of history. So much change in language, religion, society, and government! Yet Prof. Drout lays it out in a sensible way, punctuated with brilliant poetic oratory, As he cheerfully whisks away the mists of memory, it all starts making sense.

I listened three times because I wanted to capture all the juicy details. Highly recommended for those interested in History of English, post-Roman Britain, study of Religion, Scandinavian culture.

Great work

Of all the Modern Scholar audiobooks I've downloaded, this is right at the top as one of my favorites. Professor Drout does an excellent job. The MCGVR memory trick he used helped me to have a clearer picture of the Anglo-Saxon history and is just one example of why this lecture series is as good as it is. I highly recommend this program!