The early Germans - Malcolm Todd

The Germanic tribes are known to us as the inheritors of the Western Roman Empire. Between AD400 and 600 Germanic migrants spread over Europe and beyond to north Africa, and the nature of early medieval Europe was largely determined by these adventurous and warlike peoples. Feared by the greatest army of the ancient world, the barbarians were described by one Roman officer asferi (wild men), and were often considered to be incapable of lawful government or civilized arts.

Yet the Germanic tribes not only had laws and a culture of their own, they also absorbed much from their Roman neighbours. Their military organization, political development, social and material culture were all greatly influenced by Roman examples. Malcolm Todd traces the development of the Goths, Vandals, Suebi, Franks, Alamanni, Burgundians, Lombards and others, from late pre–history to the migration period, and views their conquest of the Western Empire not as an abrupt transition but as part of a continuum.

The author makes use of archaeological and literary sources throughout, offering a broad and comprehensively researched account that will be of value and interest to both historians and general readers.