The book is dedicated to one of the most poorly studied periods in the history of Britain - between the departure of the Roman legions from this territory at the beginning of the 5th century and the arrival of Christian missionaries at the end of the 6th century, when the kingdoms of early medieval Britain were formed. This time is also called “the time of King Arthur.” Everyone has heard the legend of King Arthur, the leader of the Britons of the 5th–6th centuries, who defeated the Saxon conquerors and created the society of the Knights of the Round Table, but experts have still not come to a consensus on whether there was a historical prototype of Arthur. Most researchers believe that the stories told about him owe their origin to the activities of some other king, and offer many versions. Max Adams leaves such discussions behind the scenes and aims to show the era as a whole, relying on archaeological evidence rather than legends. He writes about Britain gaining independence, about connections with the rest of Europe, about the “ecological context” of the life and everyday life of generations of Britons. The book is equipped with black and white illustrations and maps.