Although the author is a linguist, he is aware that some individuals have little aptitude for learning languages and that many have difficulty with grammar. To overcome these problems the author has adopted a step-by-step approach which enables students of differing abilities to advance at their own pace. It includes many exercises designed to aid the learning process.

    This handbook supplies a wealth of insights into all major aspects of this wondrous poem and its scholarly tradition. Each chapter provides a history of the scholarly interest in a particular topic, a synthesis of present knowledge and opinion, and an analysis of scholarly work that remains to be done. Written to accommodate the needs of a broad audience, A Beowulf Handbook will be of value to nonspecialists who wish simply to read and enjoy Beowulf and to scholars at work on their own research. In its clear and comprehensive treatment of the poem and its scholarship, this book will prove an indispensable guide to readers and specialists for many years to come.

    It also uncovers the considerable art of warfare in this period, the high level of craftsmanship achieved in the manufacture of all forms of embellished helmets and swords.