A Royal Saga: Charting the Rise of a Kingdom
How many kings ruled the region we now refer to we 'Wessex'? One of the many surprises in this new book from Anglo-Saxon expert Michael John Key is that there were more than twenty.
A detailed and engaging narrative of this pivotal kingdom in early English history leads us through four centuries of conflict, consolidation, and the forging of an identity that arguably lays the groundwork for the future of England.
The book takes a biographical approach through the lives of these many kings, starting in 500 AD with the legendary figure of Cerdic, a Germanic chieftain who not only susvived but flourished in post-Roman Britain.
Cerdic of Wessex (Wikimedia Commons)
From these violent and uncertain origins, Michael John Key explores the reigns of the warrior-kings such as Ceawlin and Cynegils, who defended Wessex against rival Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
Michael John Key admits the difficulty of piecing together the early history of the West Saxons, as sources are an often contradictory blend of fact and fiction. Some sources, such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, can be related to archaeological evidence, to present a lively picture of shifting alliances and relentless wars with the formidable kingdom of Mercia.
The narrative culminates with the reigns of Æthelred and his more famous brother, Alfred the Great – and the arrival of the Vikings, with Wessex becoming the famous ‘last kingdom’.
The Kings of Wessex is accessible for the general reader with a passion for history, yet detailed enough to be of value to students of the period. By focusing on the figures who shaped its destiny, Michael John Key brings the kingdom of Wessex to life, reminding us the foundations of England were laid by the ambition and vision of heroic warrior kings.
Tony Riches
(I would like to than Amberley Books for providing a review copy)
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About the Author
Michael John Key has spent his professional career in the oil, gas, and petrochemical Industry. After retiring to concentrate on writing he has researched and studied medieval history for many years, with a particular interest in the Anglo-Saxon period. He has a BA History Honours Degree. He was born in Leigh, Lancashire, but now lives in Hampshire, where he has spent most of his life.
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