Between the Romans†departure from Britain and the Norman Conquest, a distinct English identity developed, the legacy of which is still felt today. As Hindley tells the story of Anglo-Saxon England he highlights its cultural glories, such as Beowulf and the Lindisfarne Gospels, and its powerful women, from the war leader Ãthelflæd to the abbess Hilda. He also shows how the centralized English bureaucracy helped create Europeâ