The Making of England

Athelstan (Penguin Monarchs)

The acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers - now in paperback 
 
The formation of England happened against the odds - the division of the country into rival kingdoms, the assaults of the Vikings, the precarious position of the island on the edge of the known world. But King Alfred ensured the survival of Wessex, his son Eadweard expanded it, and his grandson Æthelstan finally united Mercia and Wessex, conquered Northumbria and became Rex totius Britanniae. 
 
Tom Holland recounts this extraordinarily exciting story with relish and drama. We meet the great figures of the age, including Alfred and his daughter Æthelflæd, 'Lady of the Mercians', who brought Æthelstan up at the Mercian court. At the end of the book we understand the often confusing history of the Anglo-Saxon kings better than ever before.

The formation of England happened against the odds - the division of the country into rival kingdoms, the assaults of the Vikings, the precarious position of the island on the edge of the known world. But King Alfred ensured the survival of Wessex, his son Eadweard expanded it, and his grandson Æthelstan finally united Mercia and Wessex, conquered Northumbria and became Rex totius Britanniae. 
 
Tom Holland recounts this extraordinarily exciting story with relish and drama. We meet the great figures of the age, including Alfred and his daughter Æthelflæd, 'Lady of the Mercians', who brought Æthelstan up at the Mercian court. At the end of the book we understand the often confusing history of the Anglo-Saxon kings better than ever before.

Tom Holland

A concise, appealing account from a leading name in the field

The artwork is gloriously retro, echoing the original Ladybird house style but containing completely up to date information.

England’s Forgotten Founder

Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, Æthelflæd is an accessible, authoritative, and enlightening introduction to the most influential woman that English history forgot. 
 
Today, few remember Æthelflæd. The daughter, sister and aunt of great kings, she was a ruler as remarkable as any of them. She planted cities, she sponsored learning, and she defeated the enemies of her people. It was on the foundations laid by Æthelflæd that a new kingdom would come to be built: a kingdom that lasts to this day. 
 
Written by historian Tom Holland, Æthelflæd puts a spotlight on this formidable leader, pulling her out of the shadowy history of the dark ages. England owes much to her founding mother. 
 
Written by the leading lights and most outstanding communicators in their fields, the Ladybird Expert books provide clear, accessible and authoritative introductions to subjects drawn from science, history and culture. 
 
For an adult readership, the Ladybird Expert series is produced in the same iconic small hardback format pioneered by the original Ladybirds. Each beautifully illustrated book features the first new illustrations produced in the original Ladybird style for nearly forty years.

Tom Holland

Praise for Æthelflæd: A Ladybird Expert Book

A concise, appealing account from a leading name in the field

The artwork is gloriously retro, echoing the original Ladybird house style but containing completely up to date information.

Books by Tom Holland

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