In five paperback volumes, The Oxford History of Britain tells the story of Britain and her peoples over 2000 years, from the coming of the Roman legions in 55 BC to the present day. This volume concentrates on Britain during the medieval period. In the early Middle Ages, it depicts a saga of conquest punctuated by frequent defeats on French and British soil, with an exploding society under such strain by the late 13th century that it was poised on the verge of a class war. Although that was avoided, in the late Middle Ages long wars in France were followed by aristocratic turmoil in Britain in the 15th century, accompanied by domestic recovery from plague and social revolt.