description Anglo-Saxon Attitudes Overview
Published in 1956, 'Anglo-Saxon Attitudes' is a satirical novel by British author Angus Wilson that critiques the social and academic mores of mid-20th-century England. The plot centers on Gerald Middleton, an aging retired history professor, as he investigates a suspected forgery connected to a famous seventh-century Anglo-Saxon ship burial discovered early in his career. The novel explores themes of deception, historical integrity, and personal guilt within an elite UK academic milieu. It is considered one of Wilson's most accomplished works.
help Anglo-Saxon Attitudes FAQ
Who is Gerald Middleton in Anglo-Saxon Attitudes?
Gerald Middleton is an aging retired history professor at the center of Angus Wilson's novel. He becomes involved in investigating a suspected historical forgery that threatens academic reputations.
What is Gerald Middleton investigating?
He investigates doubts surrounding an important Anglo-Saxon archaeological discovery. The inquiry exposes how scholarly ambition, social standing, and professional self-protection can distort historical truth.
When was Anglo-Saxon Attitudes published?
Angus Wilson published the novel in 1956. It uses a mid-20th-century English academic and social world to satirize scholarly manners and hypocrisy.
Why is the title Anglo-Saxon Attitudes ironic?
The title points to the historical subject of the suspected forgery and to the attitudes of the people debating it. Wilson uses the case to question the moral certainty and social respectability claimed by academic institutions.
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