Historian Professor David Woodman tells the story of England鈥檚 founder king 脝thelstan and says his achievements rival the Norman conquest in shaping the Britain we know today.
Woodman says 脝thelstan, who declared himself king of all England in 927, is an immensely important but neglected figure in English history. He describes how 脝thelstan鈥檚 territorial conquests and shrewd statesmanship united people, language and culture around the 鈥榢ingdom of the English鈥�. Woodman sheds new light on 脝thelstan鈥檚 early life and his military victories, his innovative way of governing, his fostering of the Church, his alliances with Europe鈥檚 royal houses and on his death and legacy.
Woodman is a professor of history at the University of Cambridge and a leading historian of early medieval British history. His previous books include Edward the Confessor: the Sainted King.