Much that is known about Anglo-Saxon England would have remained undiscovered but for the existence of the seven manuscripts which collectively represent the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The importance of the Chronicle, however, extends well beyond its historical content: its composition over a period of time reflects transitions of vital interest to literary and linguistic scholars. Of the extant versions of the Chronicle, the E-text, or ‘The Peterborough Chronicle’, which is edited in this volume, is perhaps the most important; in continuing up to the second half of the twelfth century, its span is by far the longest of all the manuscripts. A new edition of the E-text will, I hope, not only encourage and facilitate study on this particular version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, but also allow the complexity of its interrelationships with the other versions of the Chronicle and other historical works to be more fully recognized.

With the publication of this edition, all the main texts of the Chronicle from A to F are now available in the Boydell and Brewer Anglo-Saxon Chronicle collaborative series. Producing a volume which is part of a larger work – the Boydell & Brewer Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: A Collaborative Edition – has been advantageous in many ways. I have appreciated enormously the support of the editors of the other Chronicle texts, in particular that of Professor Janet Bately, who read and commented on a draft of part of the introduction and made many insightful suggestions, and of Professor Katherine O’Brien O’Keeffe, whose pointers in discussion always led me in interesting directions. Caroline Palmer and Vanda Andrews at Boydell & Brewer answered all my questions with alacrity and offered patient encouragement.

Producing a volume within a larger work does of course require some compromises. My main regret is that it has not been possible to provide a translation to accompany this edition. There are, however, several good translations available of the E-text and I hope that they can be used where necessary in conjunction with this edition.

I have other debts of gratitude. I would like to thank my colleagues in the Department of English at University College London, and in particular Professor Henry Woudhuysen for reading and providing many valuable comments on a draft of the introduction.