The Life of St Germanus, by Constantius of Lyon, is a contemporary account of a fifth-century bishop of Auxerre, who on two occasions came to Britain. Professor E.A. Thompson tries to extract as much information as possible from the about the religious situation in Britain at the time of Germanus' visits, and the government, the circumstances of the famous `Hallelujah Victory', the revolt of Armorica, and so on. He attempts to settle the vexed question of the date of Germanus' death, and he studies the qualities of Constantius himself. The book ends with a description of what may have happened in eastern Britain in the years following Germanus's second visit, a description which challenges many currently held assumptions.