Who Started English History? Venerable Bede Speaks.

If you're like me, England always seemed to emerge from the mists of history more or less fully formed and with Henry VIII as king. Obviously, I was mistaken! And this week, with Venerable Bede, I found out what was really lurking back in those mists.Our friend (because he definitely becomes our friend) Bede writes his Ecclesiatical History of the English People in 731. Long before most people's idea of history even begins, Bede has set down a story of adventure, heroism and bravery as he tells how Christianity spread across the island of Britain. Simply put, I loved everything about this book.Reading what I call "near-contemporaneous history" lets us hear directly from people writing hundreds or even thousands of years ago. It's become some of my favorite reading, because you truly can start to see the world through very different eyes. The differences we have are as sharp as the evidence of shared humanity. That's very true in this book. Bede shares stories of saints--and most aren't distant strangers. They are friends, or friends-of-friends, who put their lives at risk to spread the Gospel. There was so much to admire in this book.I read this book as part of my preparation for a trip to England in June, and I'm excited to see how it pays off! But even without that, this is a worthy addition to any library that has an English bent.LINKThe complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2rCONNECTTo read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebookLISTENSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bdApple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm