Sign-In
Cart
Brunanburh: THE BATTLE FOR ENGLAND: How King Æthelstan confronted Vikings, Scots, and Britons in the bloody struggle over the northern kingdoms in 937
Paperback
Medieval & Renaissance HistoryGeneral Military History
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 21 2026
Pages: 146
Weight: 0.41
Height: 0.37 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
In 937, England faced an enemy unlike any thelstan had confronted before.
Vikings, Scots, and Britons had joined forces with one purpose: to break the growing power of the English king and reclaim influence over the northern kingdoms. At Brunanburh, thousands of warriors would meet in one of the bloodiest and most consequential battles of thelstan's reign.
But how did a king who inherited a deeply uncertain succession become powerful enough to face such a formidable coalition?
From Edward the Elder's death in 924 to the battlefield of Brunanburh in 937, thelstan's rise was shaped by disputed succession, conquest, diplomacy, lawmaking, rebellion, alliances, and war. His control of York brought him into direct conflict with Viking ambitions. His dealings with Constantine of Scotland revealed the fragile nature of northern loyalty. His victories expanded English authority, while his enemies gradually discovered that they could achieve more by standing together than by fighting him separately.
Few episodes reveal the making of early English royal power as vividly as the road to Brunanburh. You will discover how thelstan moved from a contested heir to a king capable of commanding forces drawn from different parts of Britain, why the northern rulers eventually united against him, and how deception and negotiation helped him prepare for the battle.
You will also see why Brunanburh was more than a military victory. The battle shattered the coalition threatening English control of the north, but the enormous losses suffered by both sides revealed the limits of victory. Scotland and Strathclyde survived, and the northern question remained unresolved after thelstan's death.
Whether you are interested in thelstan, Viking history, medieval Britain, Anglo-Saxon England, or the political struggles that shaped the northern kingdoms, this book offers a compelling journey through the events that led to one decisive battlefield.
The battle ended. The northern struggle did not.
Discover the rise of thelstan, the forces that challenged his authority, and the costly victory that shaped England's future. Get your copy today and enter the world of Brunanburh.
Also from
Townsend, Nicole
Ancient Korean Kingdoms: The Rise of Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and the Wars That Shaped the Peninsula
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Ancient Minoans: Labyrinth Palaces, Goddess Cults, Volcanic Fury, and the Rise of Western Europe's First Civilization
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Pallava Dynasty: The Story of Ancient Tamil Rulers, Maritime Strength, and Cultural Achievement
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Cleopatra: The Life of a Queen Shaped by Empire, War, and the Fate of Her Kingdom
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Russian Revolution: How war, political upheaval, and radical movements reshaped an empire
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Papua New Guinea: From Ancient Migrations to Independence, Culture, and National Identity
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Basques: Origins, Resistance, and the Hidden History of Europe's Ancient People
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Peshtigo Fire of 1871: How a Devastating Wildfire Destroyed a Thriving Community in Wisconsin
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Elamite Empire: Forgotten Civilization of Ancient Iran and Mesopotamia
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Tarim Mummies: Exploring the Origins of Tocharians, Indo-Europeans, and Ancient China
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
History of Norway: From Ice Age settlers to global prosperity across the northern seas
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Jokes for Kids: Jokes, Riddles, & Tongue Twisters That Will Tickle Your Ribs & Make Your Funny Bone Laugh
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Tibetan Folklore: Myths of Creation, Sky Kings, Demon Queens, and the Epic of Gesar
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Ancient Babylon: Rise, Conquest, Sacred Law, Imperial Splendor, and the Long Road to Ruin
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Halifax Explosion: Collision, Fire, and Courage in a Wartime Harbor, 1917
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Urartu: The Rise, Power, and Fall of an Ancient Kingdom That Challenged Assyria
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
History Of Poland: Kingdoms, invasions, partitions, and the enduring struggle to preserve freedom
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Neanderthals: An Archaeological Journey Through Ice Age Survival, Social Intelligence, and Human Evolution
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Ancient Anatolian: From Neolithic Communities to the World's First Great Imperial Power
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Himyarite Kingdom: The Rise of Ancient Yemen Through Trade, Faith, and Pre-Islamic Arabia
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Fulani Jihad: How Usman Dan Fodio transformed Northern Nigeria through religious reform and the Sokoto Caliphate
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Irish Origin: Ancient Ancestry, Celtic Roots, Viking Migration, and the Genetic History of Ireland
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
History of Greenland: Prehistoric Hunters, Medieval Colonies, and Modern Geopolitics
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Just Be REAL: A Manager's Field Guide to Making Work Count for Employees and Companies
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
History of Louisiana: From Indigenous Nations and Colonial Empires to New Orleans, Slavery, Civil War, and Katrina
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Inca Apocalypse: Pizarro's Ruthless Conquest of Peru and the Hunt for Inca Gold
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Black Pharaohs of Nubia: Uncovering Kush Civilization, Nile Culture, and a Forgotten Dynasty That Once Ruled an Empire
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Pirate Republic: "The Rise, Reign, and Collapse of the Golden Age of Piracy
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
History of Nevada: From Indigenous civilizations to silver mining and the rise of Las Vegas
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Roman Pantheon: Exploring the myths, powers, and enduring legacy of antiquity's greatest gods and goddesses
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Greek Heroes: From Medusa to the Minotaur, Stories That Defined an Ancient World
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Median Empire: An Ancient Iranian Power, the Destruction of Assyria, and the Rise of Persia
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
The Byzantine Empire: The journey from Roman roots to a Greek and Orthodox world
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Ancient Macedonia: How a Balkan kingdom rose through war, strategy, and political ambition
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
History of Argentina: From Indigenous Civilizations to Political Conflict and National Identity
Townsend, Nicole
Paperback
Also in
Medieval & Renaissance History
The Power of Place: Rulers and Their Palaces, Landscapes, Cities, and Holy Places
Rollason, David
Hardcover
The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam, and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace
Moses, Paul
Hardcover
Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us about Living
Jones, Peter
Hardcover
Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival
Greenblatt, Stephen
Hardcover
The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition, Volume II: The Modern and Contemporary West
Hankins, James
Guelzo, Allen C.
Hardcover
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It
Ramirez, Janina
Paperback
Alchemy: An Illustrated History of Elixirs, Experiments, and the Birth of Modern Science
Ball, Philip
Hardcover
The Surgeon, the Midwife, the Quack: How to Stay Alive in Renaissance England
Skuse, Alanna
Hardcover
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century
Mortimer, Ian
Paperback
Irish History & Mythology: Exploring The History, Celtic Myths, Folklore, Sagas, Traditions of Ireland
Brought Alive, History
Paperback
The Wolf Age: The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire
Skeie, Tore
Paperback
Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers That Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe
Perry, David M.
Gabriele, Matthew
Paperback
The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time
Kelly, John
Paperback
Stone Lands: A Journey of Darkness and Light Through Britain's Ancient Places
Robertson, Fiona
Hardcover
What God Kept for Himself: Atheism, Sodomy, and Radical Dissent in Renaissance Italy
Grassi, Umberto
Hardcover
Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival
Greenblatt, Stephen
Paperback
A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age
Manchester, William
Paperback
Our Island Story: A History of the Kings, Queens and Battles of England, Scotland and Britain for Boys and Girls
Marshall, H. E.
Paperback
Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons: A Fully Illustrated Guide To Siege Weapons And Tactics
Nossov, Konstantin
Paperback
When Asia Was the World: Traveling Merchants, Scholars, Warriors, and Monks Who Created the Riches of the East
Gordon, Stewart
Paperback
The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade
Bauer, Susan Wise
Hardcover
The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise: Muslims, Christians, and Jews Under Islamic Rule in Medieval Spain
Fernandez-Morera, Dario
Hardcover
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire
Weatherford, Jack
Paperback
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys Into the Medieval World
de Hamel, Christopher
Paperback
The Manuscripts Club: The People Behind a Thousand Years of Medieval Manuscripts
de Hamel, Christopher
Paperback
Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane
Starr, S. Frederick
Paperback
Cryptic: From Voynich to the Angel Diaries, the Story of the World's Mysterious Manuscripts
Shaw, Garry J.
Hardcover
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It
Ramirez, Janina
Hardcover
The Battle of Yarmuk: An Assessment of the Immediate Factors behind the Islamic Conquests
Ibrahim, Raymond
Paperback
Venice and the Mongols: The Eurasian Exchange That Transformed the Medieval World
Di Cosmo, Nicola
Pubblici, Lorenzo
Hardcover
The History of the Renaissance World: From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople
Bauer, Susan Wise
Hardcover
A Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader and the World of English Peasants Before the Plague
Bennett, Judith M.
Paperback
In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire
Holland, Tom
Paperback
The Magic Books: A History of Enchantment in 20 Medieval Manuscripts
Lawrence-Mathers, Anne
Hardcover
The Birth of the Anglo-Saxons: Three Kings and a History of Britain at the Dawn of the Viking Age
Adams, Max
Hardcover
Financial Vipers of Venice: Alchemical Money, Magical Physics, and Banking in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Farrell, Joseph P.
Paperback
Urban Infrastructure in Medieval England: Sustainability and Resilience
Magnusson, Roberta J.
Paperback
This Earthly Globe: A Venetian Geographer and the Quest to Map the World
Di Robilant, Andrea
Paperback
Women in the Middle Ages: The Lives of Real Women in a Vibrant Age of Transition
Gies, Frances
Gies, Joseph
Paperback
Old Norse - Old Icelandic: Concise Introduction to the Language of the Sagas
Byock, Jesse
Gordon, Randall
Paperback
The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance
King, Ross
Paperback
Elucidation of Necromancy Lucidarium Artis Nigromantice Attributed to Peter of Abano: Including a New Translation of His Heptameron or Elements of Mag
Abano, Peter Of
Peterson, Joseph H.
Hardcover
The Prince (Royal Collector's Edition) (Annotated) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)
Machiavelli, Niccolò
Hardcover
The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance
Al-Khalili, Jim
Paperback
Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore dei Liberi Facsimile: With translation by Guy Windsor
Windsor, Guy
Hardcover