The end of empire in the island of Great Britain was both more abrupt and more complete than in any of the other European Roman provinces. When the fog clears and Britain re-enters the historical record, it is, unlike other former European provinces of the Western Empire, dominated by a new culture that speaks a language that is neither Roman nor indigenous British Brythonic and with a pagan religion that owes nothing to Romanitas or native British practices. Other ex-Roman provinces of the Western Empire in Europe showed two consistent features conspicuously absent from the lowlands of Britain: the dominant language was derived from the local Vulgar Latin and the dominant religion was a Christianity that looked towards Rome. This leads naturally to the question: 'what was different about Britannia?' A further anomaly in our understanding lies in the significant dating mismatch between historical and archaeological data of the Germanic migrations, and the latest genetic evidence. The answer to England's unique early history may lie in resolving this paradox. John Lambshead summarizes the latest data gathered by historians, archaeologists, climatologists and biologists and synthesises it all into a fresh new explanation. AUTHOR: John Lambshead is a retired research scientist in biology with a lifelong passion for history. He is also a keen wargamer, games developer (both computer and tabletop gaming) and author of several science-fiction novels. He is the co-author, with Rick Priestley, of Tabletop Wargames: A Designers' and Writers' Handbook , and author of One-hour Skirmish Wargames, both published by Pen & Sword. He lives in Rainham, Kent.