Women in Anglo-Saxon England

The preface to the book makes it clear of the author's perspective: there is more to the history of women than a history of oppression, i.e. women are interesting and a good source of historical knowledge. Fell's book paints a very clear picture of how women in Anglo-Saxon England actually lived their lives, and this means you get a cross-section of daily life for people at all levels of social status, far beyond typical histories which are mainly concerned with politics and the church. If you want to know what people were wearing, eating, and doing most of the time pre-1066, this is an excellent book. It also makes clear many of the law codes, including the property rights of women and men, and how transactions such as inheritance took place. There is a really funny chapter derived from riddles and jokes that (again) shows you a lot about daily life. Furthermore, if you're interested in a period in history when women had a lot of rights and responsibilities, this will be an important source.