Description

From one of today’s leading historians of the early medieval period, an enthralling chronicle of AEthelstan, England’s founder king whose achievements of 927 rival the Norman Conquest of 1066 in shaping Britain as we know it

The First King of England is a foundational biography of AEthelstan (d. 939), the early medieval king whose territorial conquests and shrewd statesmanship united the peoples, languages, and cultures that would come to be known as the “kingdom of the English.” In this panoramic work, David Woodman blends masterful storytelling with the latest scholarship to paint a multifaceted portrait of this immensely important but neglected figure, a man celebrated in his day as much for his benevolence, piety, and love of learning as he was for his ambitious reign.

Set against the backdrop of warring powers in early medieval Europe, The First King of England sheds new light on AEthelstan’s early life, his spectacular military victories and the innovative way he governed his kingdom, his fostering of the church, the deft political alliances he forged with Europe’s royal houses, and his death and enduring legacy. It begins with the reigns of Alfred the Great and Edward the Elder, AEthelstan’s grandfather and father, describing how they consolidated and expanded the “kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons.” But it was AEthelstan who would declare himself the first king of all England when, in 927, he conquered the viking kingdom at York, required the submission of a Scottish king, and secured an annual tribute from the Welsh kings.

Beautifully illustrated and breathtaking in scope, The First King of England is the most comprehensive, up-to-date biography of AEthelstan available, bringing a magisterial richness of detail to the life of a consequential British monarch whose strategic and political sophistication was unprecedented for his time.

Publisher Review

"A highly engaging and informative biography. . . .Woodman presents AEthelstan as a European king, a scholar, with ruthless ambitions and a strong streak of piety. It would be easy to caricature AEthelstan within certain narratives that aligns with views of English nationhood as it is today, but this book provides a deeper and more nuanced analysis of this fascinating king."---Clare Downham, The Conversation "A persuasive account of the ruler with the greatest claim to be the first true king of England. . . .A vital portrait of tenth-century kingship in action."---Andrew Rabin, History Today "An impressively well-defined picture of a great Anglo-Saxon king."---Samuel Rubinstein, Engelsberg Ideas