Gerald Middleton, Professor Emeritus of early medieval history, is a taciturn and methodical man, a creature of habit who likes to have his daily routine undisturbed. Separated from his Swedish wife and disapproving of his youngest son's job Gerald's life and work are starting to lose their meaning. Keenly aware of his faults and the void that he has created around himself Middleton is forced back into the world once again as events from his past begin to catch up with him.
Years ago he had been involved in an excavation that led to the discovery of a grotesque idol in the tomb of Bishop Eorpwald. It was a discovery that shocked, scandalised and mystified a whole generation of scholars. Now Middleton is the sole survivor of that fatal excavation party and he hides an even more damaging secret...
First published in 1956 Anglo-Saxon Attitudes is an ambitious and sharply-observed portrait of society. Drawing on perhaps the most famous archaeological hoax in history, the Piltdown skull hoax of 1953, the story explores the corruption that occurs within communities - whether they are academic or political - and the lengths to which people will go to protect what they hold dear.