The First King of England

“A Bloomberg Best Book of the Year”“A History Today Book of the Year”“A highly engaging and informative biography… .Woodman presents Æthelstan as a European king, a scholar, with ruthless ambitions and a strong streak of piety. It would be easy to caricature Æthelstan 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“An excellent work. One of the best books on early English history, and also one of the best books on how the Dark Ages morphed into early Medieval times.”—Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution“Indispensable… . In these pages a picture of Æthelstan emerges that’s convincing, humane, and surprisingly detailed. Woodman has brought a formidable amount of research muscle to the task of writing what will surely be the definitive life of this pivotal figure barring the discovery of some barrow stuffed with sealed chests of documents.”—Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review“Woodman’s claim that Athelstan was one of the great rulers in British history is surely justified… .This study is an excellent addition to the growing body of work on this fascinating personality and his exciting times.”—Michael Wood, Times Literary Supplement“Woodman certainly makes out a strong case for Æthelstan’s importance, looking at all the evidence from diplomas, coins and law codes, and showing also his unprecedented involvement in European politics… .A great king then, but a consolidator as well as a creator.”—Tom Shippey, Literary Review“A thorough and nuanced story of one of England’s greatest kings… . Woodman shines a light on how [Æthelstan] united England, ruled with honor and forged strong ties with the continent.”—David Giroux, Bloomberg Businessweek“A superb biography… . The First King of England is an excellent starting point for anyone who doubts the importance of 927 and Aethelstan’s place in English history.”—Michael McComb, World History Encyclopedia

David Woodman is Professor and Fellow in History at Robinson College, University of Cambridge. His books include Edward the Confessor: The Sainted King and The Chronicle of John of Worcester, Volume IV: “Chronicula.”