Beowulf endures as one of the most powerful expressions of myth, memory, and mortal reckoning―a poem forged in a twilight world where monsters stalk the moors and glory is won at the edge of a sword. In this unique volume, acclaimed historianTom Holland takes up the poem with his pen at the ready.

Holland’s handwritten annotations―witty, insightful, and viciously funny―are reproduced here in exact facsimile. They range from editorial glosses and contextual asides to impassioned arguments, startled questions and moments of personal revelation. What emerges is a vivid encounter between past and present, literature and reader. Beyond merely an edition of Beowulf, this is a live record of what it feels like to read―closely, critically, and with wonder.