Aethelstan: The First King of England
"Æthelstan was perhaps the most important king of tenth-century England, but we know very little about him, and he has no modern biography. Sarah Foot triumphantly fills this gap, and adds to the richness of our understanding of the period in a way that few others have managed."--Chris Wickham, author of The Inheritance Of Rome The powerful and innovative King Æthelstan reigned only briefly (924-939), yet his achievements during those eventful fifteen years changed the course of English history. He won spectacular military victories (most notably at Brunanburh), forged unprecedented political connections across Europe, and succeeded in creating the first unified kingdom of the English. To claim for him the title of "first English monarch" is no exaggeration. In this nuanced portrait of Æthelstan, Sarah Foot offers the first full account of the king ever written. She traces his life through the various spheres in which he lived and worked, beginning with the intimate context of his family, then extending outward to his unusual multiethnic royal court, the Church and his kingdom, the wars he conducted, and finally his death and legacy. Foot describes a sophisticated man who was not only a great military leader but also a worthy king. He governed brilliantly, developed creative ways to project his image as a ruler, and devised strategic marriage treaties and gift exchanges to cement alliances with the leading royal and ducal houses of Europe. Æthelstan's legacy, seen in the new light of this masterful biography, is inextricably connected to the very forging of England and early English identity.
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16 released booksThe English Monarchs
The English Monarchs is a 16-book series with 16 released primary works first released in 1595 with contributions by Wilfred Lewis Warren, David C. Douglas, and J.J. Scarisbrick.
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This is an exceptional book. Very academic in tone so for those readers that have a deep interest in pre Conquest England. Not recommended to those that are after popular history.
The author has delved into every source available to give a thorough coverage of Æthelstan and his reign. No stone has been left unturned to cover areas from his early life, an area very bereft of information through to his modern legacy.
There are 8 chapters and an epilogue covering debates as to Æthelstan place in English history, coverage of his family, his role in the church, his kingdom and wars. The epilogue made wonderful reading on his initial popular memory to the disappearance of such as time went by.
On finishing this book I looked at 2 popular history's of England that I have at hand, Seaman's A New History of England from 1981 and the recent Foundation by Ackroyd. Seaman makes reference to Æthelstan on page 22 calling him “one of the most successful Kings” based on his overlordship of other British kings via the Battle of Brunanburh. This is covered by all of a scant paragraph. Æthelstan receives a short mention in relation to laws on page 38. Ackroyd does better with coverage from page 69 to 72. Ackroyd says that Æthelstan was “revered for centuries” and covers the meaning of his name, Noble Stone, his lineage through to the precedents he set as to lordship and landownership. Considering the scope of Foundation Ackroyd seemingly does a fine job considering the limitations of his subject.
With that I came away considering that Sarah Foot has produced one of the most important biographies from Anglo Saxon England. My 2 popular histories are fairly scant on the subject but do both make mention of Æthelstan's importance to English history. This is why this book by Sarah Foot is of such importance. Her research of the source's is superb, they lack any form hyperbole with interpretation, she makes it abundantly clear as to their limitations and with that brings us up to date with what little information is available. Her footnotes and bibliography are of the highest quality. Highly recommended.
