Christopher Heath is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Lincoln. He is the author of several works on the Lombards in Italy, including The Narrative Worlds of Paul the Deacon (2017) and The Age of Liutprand (2025).

• List of IllustrationsPreface and AcknowledgementsIntroduction Chapter 1. Space: Climate and Physical EnvironmentsChapter 2. Belief and IdentitiesChapter 3. Law, Governance, and KnowledgeChapter 4. The Kingdom: Pavia 568–774Chapter 5. Langobardia Minor: The Lombard Mezzogiorno 774–1077GlossaryFurther Reading

English-speaking readers’ knowledge of Italian history generally begins with the Renaissance, perhaps supplemented by the history of ancient Rome, especially the Principate. Starting from this observation, Heath’s book seeks to bridge the six-century gap that follows the end of the Roman world: the Early Middle Ages, which in Italy largely coincide with the period of Lombard rule. He correctly places the history and civilization of the Lombards within the framework of a historiography that has been profoundly reshaped over recent decades and now assigns far greater importance to the early medieval period than it once did, recognising its decisive role in shaping subsequent developments in both Italy and the wider post-Roman West. Earlier historiography, particularly in Italy, combined the traditional negative view of the barbarians with the debate over the significance of the Lombards in Italian history--the so-called “Lombard question.” During the Risorgimento, when the Lombards were often portrayed as precursors of the Austrians, this debate produced strongly negative assessments of their historical role. They were regarded as the most barbarous of all the barbarian peoples. Modern scholarship, however, including that produced in Italy, has moved decisively beyond such interpretations.Against this background, Heath sets out to provide a concise introduction to the “fascinating world of the Lombards in Italy” (2) for a non-specialist Anglophone readership. He adopts a thematic rather than chronological structure, leaving the political narrative to the second half of the volume.[...][T]he volume represents a valuable attempt to introduce the history of the Lombards to a wider readership, an achievement fully consistent with Heath’s broader scholarly contribution.