The First King Of England

In *The First King of England*, historian Tom Holland brings vivid life to Æthelstan (d. 939), the early medieval ruler whose ambition and political nerve helped shape a new idea of England. It’s an absorbing biography and a richly detailed slice of Anglo-Saxon history, written for readers who like their past full of character and consequence.

Holland follows Æthelstan from a world of rival kingdoms and shifting loyalties to the hard-won authority of a king able to draw different peoples, languages and customs into something resembling a single realm. Alongside battlefield successes, the story turns on diplomacy, law, faith and the careful handling of power—showing how a “king of the English” could be made as much by negotiation as by conquest.

Perfect for fans of medieval history, British biography, and political history, as well as readers of narrative non-fiction who want more than dates and dynasties.

Add it to your shelf and meet the king who helped invent a country.