PAUL HILL
History Author
The crypt at St Wystan's Church, Repton © Jackie Stubbs. Jackie Stubbs Photography.
THE KINGDOM of the ANGLO-SAXONS
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Alfred the Great, youngest son of King Æthelwulf, took control of the last surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom, bringing Wessex and the ‘English’ parts of Mercia together into a new ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’. This is a story of betrayal and of vengeance, of turncoat oath-breakers and loyal commanders, of battles fought and won against the odds. But above all, this is the story of how England came into being.
"For someone like me, who thinks that Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom series is the finest example of historical novelisation in the English language, Paul Hill's books, the first of a series of four, is a must-have companion to the events described in Bernard's books. It's well written, it contains many of the characters from the novels, including Bishop Asser, Ivar the Boneless etc., and, of course, Alfred himself, it's well illustrated, and it's the perfect example of how a history text book should be. Brilliant."
Books Monthly
This is a human, as well as a military story: how a king demonstrated his right to rule was important. Alfred sought to secure the succession on his son Edward, who led his own forces as a young man in the 890s. But not everybody was happy in Alfred’s England. Despite the ever-present threat from the Danes, the greatest challenge facing Alfred arose from his own kin, centred deep in the heart of ancient Wessex. Alfred knew very well that his was not the only branch of the family who claimed a right to rule.