By the waning of Roman rule, Britain was called a "province fertile with tyrants". Christopher Snyder's history of Britain during the two centuries after Rome's withdrawal reveals a hybrid society of Celtic, Roman, and Christian elements and documents the transition from magisterial to monarchical power. An appendix explores the Arthur and Merlin myths. 30 illustrations.

Christopher A. Snyder is on the faculty of History and Politics at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. He is the author of Sub-Roman Britain (A.D. 400-600): A Gazetteer of Sites (1996).