Athelstan
Athelstan by Tom Holland, published by Penguin Books in 2018, is a reprint edition comprising 144 pages in English. This book explores the formation of England during a tumultuous period marked by rival kingdoms and Viking invasions. Holland recounts the extraordinary story of Athelstan, the grandson of King Alfred, who united Mercia and Wessex and was proclaimed King of the whole of Britain. The narrative is rich with historical detail, bringing to life the challenges and triumphs faced by Athelstan and his contemporaries.
Readers will find a vivid portrayal of the era, highlighting the complexities of royal power and the significant figures of the time, including Alfred and Aethelflaed, who played crucial roles in shaping the kingdom. Holland delves into the family rivalries and conflicts among Anglo-Saxon rulers, illustrating how they navigated a precarious political landscape to establish a lasting nation. This edition offers insights into the historical and cultural context of medieval Britain, making it a valuable resource for those interested in biography, history, and the evolution of royal dynasties.
Official synopsis Publisher
The formation of England occurred against the odds: an island divided into rival kingdoms, under savage assault from Viking hordes. But, after King Alfred ensured the survival of Wessex and his son Edward expanded it, his grandson, Athelstan, inherited the rule of both Mercia and Wessex, conquered Northumbria and was hailed as Rex totius Britanniae: ‘King of the whole of Britain’. Tom Holland recounts this extraordinary story with relish and drama, transporting us back to a time of omens, raven harbingers and blood-red battlefields. As well as giving form to the figure of Athelstan — devout, shrewd, all too aware of the precarious nature of his power, especially in the north — he introduces the great figures of the age, including Alfred and his daughter, Aethelflaed, ‘Lady of the Mercians’, who brought Athelstan up at the Mercian court. Making sense of the family rivalries and fractious conflicts of the Anglo-Saxon rulers, Holland shows us how a royal dynasty rescued their kingdom from near-oblivion and fashioned a nation that endures to this day. – Publisher.
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