Æthelred: The Unready (English Monarchs) - Hardcover

Roach, Levi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300196296 ISBN 13: 9780300196290

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2016

Synopsis

An imaginative reassessment of Æthelred "the Unready," 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 honor 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.

About this title

Book Description

Notorious for his domestic and international failures, the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred "the Unready" (978–1016) has long been considered a weak and ineffectual ruler. In a much-needed reassessment, this first biography of the infamous English monarch presents a rich portrait of a complex king driven by faith and devotion.

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.

Edition details

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0300196296
• ISBN 13: 9780300196290
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 392