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Athelstan (Penguin Monarchs)
Athelstan (Penguin Monarchs): The Making of England | Tom Holland
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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.
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This is the third book in the Penguin Monarch series that I have read. I also read Henry VIII and Edward VI. These are really good starting points for anyone interested in the monarchy. They are well researched and very short therefore they remain interesting and don't get dry. Will be reading the rest of the Windsor's next.

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Dedebimp
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Have been sick so starting Non Fiction November late. Might only get a few books in.

Laura317 This looks good! I can't wait to read your review. 8y
LeahBergen Oooo! 👍🏼 8y
I-read-and-eat This book looks good! Hope you'll put up a review 😊 8y
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