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Æthelred
The Unready
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Æthelred
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
An imaginative reassessment of Æthelred, one of medieval England’s most maligned kings and a major Anglo-Saxon figure.
The Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred "the Unready" (978–1016) has long been considered to be inscrutable, irrational, and poorly advised. Infamous for his domestic and international failures, Æthelred was unable to fend off successive Viking raids, leading to the notorious St. Brice’s Day Massacre in 1002, during which Danes in England were slaughtered on his orders.
Though Æthelred’s posthumous standing is dominated by his unsuccessful military leadership, his seemingly blind trust in disloyal associates, and his harsh treatment of political opponents, Roach suggests that Æthelred has been wrongly maligned.
Drawing on extensive research, Roach argues that Æthelred was driven by pious concerns about sin, society, and the anticipated apocalypse. His strategies, in this light, were to honour God and find redemption.
Chronologically charting Æthelred’s life, Roach presents a more accessible character than previously available, illuminating his place in England and Europe at the turn of the first millennium.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780300229721
Publisher: Yale University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 29 August 2017
Country: United States
Imprint: Yale University Press
Illustration: 21 b-w illus.
Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 144.0mm
Height: 227.0mm
Weight: 635g
Pages: 392
About the Author
Levi Roach is lecturer at the University of Exeter, and formerly a junior research fellow at St John’s College, Cambridge. He lives in Exeter, UK.
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