In the absence of imperial rule, Britain fractured into smaller polities. Max Adams traces the emergence of these kingdoms, emphasizing their diversity. In the west, regions such as Gwynedd, Powys, and Dumnonia retained more of their native British identity and language. In the east, Germanic-speaking settlers—Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—began establishing their own kingdoms.

Adams particularly focuses on the western territories—what he calls “the first kingdom.” This is not a specific nation-state but rather a cultural and political entity: the survival of Romano-British traditions, Christianity, and literacy in western Britain, especially in what would later be Wales, Cornwall, and parts of northern England and southern Scotland.

Archaeology and Landscape History

What makes The First Kingdom stand out is Adams’ use of archaeology, place-names, and landscape analysis. He draws upon a wide range of material evidence to reconstruct the lived experience of people in sub-Roman Britain. Hillforts, earthworks, burial sites, and religious centers all play a role in the story.

The book underscores the importance of geography in shaping history. The mountainous terrain of Wales and the north, for example, provided natural defenses that allowed British-speaking communities to resist Anglo-Saxon encroachment for centuries. Similarly, Roman roads and river routes continued to shape patterns of trade and communication.

Religion and Cultural Continuity

Adams also explores the role of Christianity during this transitional period. Contrary to older views that suggested a complete collapse of Christian institutions after Rome’s departure, The First Kingdom presents evidence of continuity. Monastic communities, bishoprics, and Christian leaders adapted to the new political realities and played a central role in maintaining literacy and learning.

The book pays particular attention to figures such as Gildas, a 6th-century monk whose writings offer rare contemporary insights into the moral and political decline of post-Roman Britain. Though biased and polemical, Gildas’ De Excidio Britanniae remains a crucial text for understanding the period. shutdown123