[Regia-NA] In need of book reviews

[Steve Etheridge]

>From: wjy851@mail.usask.ca

>Hello All
>
>Second year of university, and I have discovered the magic of inter library
>loan. I was thinking of ordering: The Anglo-Saxon Shield
>by I.P. Stephenson and Early Anglo-Saxon Shields by Tania Dickinson, 
>Heinrich
>Harke. Are these worthwhile? What timeframes do they cover?

Haarke and Dikinson is the earlier book, and the better.  Stephenson is the 
easier to read for the non-academic, but tends to have his own theories a 
little.  Most of the best bits from Haarke and Dickinson are culled into 
Stephenson.  I probably cannot be fair on his book, as I disagree with some 
of his theories, but there is still some good evidence there.  If you are 
getting both for nothing, then get both.  Incedentally, although 
Stephenson's timeframe goes from 400 - 1066, most of the work is on the 
earlier shields, and there is barely a mention of the Kite.  Haarke covers 
400 - 600, but uses later and earlier evidence.

>Also, I recently heard that tenth and eleventh century shield bosses found 
>in
>Ireland display noticably different characteristics than those from 
>elsewhere
>in Europe, but whatever I was reading did not go into any detail. Anyone 
>know
>of a book which may touch on this subject?

I cannot say that I noticed much difference in characteristics when I saw 
some in the National Museum.  It may be reffering to a method of 
construction of conical shield bosses where the cone is formed from a 
segment of steel plate with the ends riveted together - a method that I have 
read about but never seen.  Is this just a difference in geography, or time 
as well?  Certainly I did not see any of the carinated or nippled bosses 
that are associated with 5th-7thc English burials.  Most seemed like domed 
bosses with a "shoulder" to them to give extra space inside.

Hope this helps

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