Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom

About the Author\nAnnie Whitehead's To Be A Queen was Editor’s Choice & Long-listed for Historical Novel Society Indie book of the Year 2016.\nMany people know about Wessex, the "Last Kingdom" of the Anglo-Saxons to fall to the Northmen, but another kingdom, Mercia, once enjoyed supremacy over all of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Those interested in the period will surely have heard of Penda, Offa, and Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, but remarkably there is no single book that tells their story in its entirety. Historically, the records are in two halves, pre- and post-Viking, in the way they have been preserved. Pre-Viking, virtually all the source material was written by the victims of Mercian aggression and expansion. Post-Viking, the surviving documents tend to hail from places which were not sacked or burned by the Northmen. The inclusion of those records here allows for the exploration of Mercia post-924. Examining the roles of the great ealdormen in the anti-monastic reaction of the 10th century, through the treachery of Eadric Streona in the 11th, and the last, brave young earls who made a stand against William the Conqueror, this book shows the important role the Mercians played in the forging of the English nation.

History

Whitehead, Annie

Europe

Amberley Publishing

Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England

Many Anglo-Saxon kings are familiar. Æthelred the Unready is one, yet less is written of his wife, who was consort of two kings and championed one of her sons over the others, or his mother who was an anointed queen and powerful regent, but was also accused of witchcraft and regicide. A royal abbess educated five bishops and was instrumental in deciding the date of Easter; another took on the might of Canterbury and Rome and was accused by the monks of fratricide.Anglo-Saxon women were prized for their bloodlines - one had such rich blood that it sparked a war - and one was appointed regent of a foreign country. Royal mothers wielded power; Eadgifu, wife of Edward the Elder, maintained a position of authority during the reigns of both her sons.Æthelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, was a queen in all but name, while few have heard of Queen Seaxburh, who ruled Wessex, or Queen Cynethryth, who issued her own coinage. She, too, was accused of murder, but was also, like many of the royal women, literate and highly-educated.From seventh-century Northumbria to eleventh-century Wessex and making extensive use of primary sources, Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England examines the lives of individual women in a way that has often been done for the Anglo-Saxon men but not for their wives, sisters, mothers and daughters. It tells their stories: those who ruled and schemed, the peace-weavers and the warrior women, the saints and the sinners. It explores, and restores, their reputations.

Pen and Sword History

Many people know about Wessex, the "Last Kingdom" of the Anglo-Saxons in defense against the Northmen, But another kingdom, Mercia, once enjoyed supremacy over not just Wessex, but all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. This book details the different Mercian tribes and the emergence of the heptarchy, then concentrates on the leading figures in Mercia's history. Mercia is also explored post 924, when it continued to play an important part in national government and politics.

Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England focuses on the lives of remarkable women: women who ruled and schemed, were peace-weavers and warriors. It explores - and restores - their reputations. Many Anglo-Saxon kings are familiar. Æthelred the Unready is one, yet less is written of his wife, who was consort of two kings and championed one of her sons over the others, or his mother who was an anointed queen and powerful regent, but was also accused of witchcraft and regicide. A royal abbess educated five bishops and was instrumental in deciding the date of Easter; another took on the might of Canterbury and Rome and was accused by the monks of fratricide.Anglo-Saxon women were prized for their bloodlines - one had such rich blood that it sparked a war - and one was appointed regent of a foreign country. Royal mothers wielded power; Eadgifu, wife of Edward the Elder, maintained a position of authority during the reigns of both her sons.Æthelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, was a queen in all but name, while few have heard of Queen Seaxburh, who ruled Wessex, or Queen Cynethryth, who issued her own coinage. She, too, was accused of murder, but was also, like many of the royal women, literate and highly-educated.From seventh-century Northumbria to eleventh-century Wessex and making extensive use of primary sources, Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England examines the lives of individual women in a way that has often been done for the Anglo-Saxon men but not for their wives, sisters, mothers and daughters. It tells their stories: those who ruled and schemed, the peace-weavers and the warrior women, the saints and the sinners. It explores, and restores, their reputations.

HISTORICAL STORIES of EXILE

Literature & Fiction

Newcomb, Charlene

Chadwick, Elizabeth

St.John, Elizabeth

Hollick, Helen

Belfrage, Anna

Morton, Alison

Thorpe, Marian L

Harlond, J.G.

Livingstone, Loretta

Genre Fiction

Taw River Press

This is the true story of Aethelflaed, the 'Lady of the Mercians', daughter of Alfred the Great. She was the only female leader of an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is the tale of one family, two kingdoms and a common enemy. Born into the royal house of Wessex at the height of the Viking wars, she is sent to her aunt in Mercia as a foster-child, only to return home when the Vikings overrun Mercia. In Wessex, she witnesses another Viking attack and this compounds her fear of the enemy. She falls in love with a Mercian lord but is heartbroken to be given as bride to the ruler of Mercia to seal the alliance between the two Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. She must learn to subjugate her feelings for her first love, overcome her indifference to her husband and win the hearts of the Mercians who despise her as a foreigner, twice making an attempt on her life. When her husband falls ill and is incapacitated, she has to learn to rule and lead an army in his stead and when he subsequently dies, she must fight to save her adopted Mercia from the Vikings and, ultimately, her own brother.

To Be a Queen

FeedARead.com

In seventh century England, a vicious attack sets in motion a war of attrition which will last for generations. Four kings, connected by blood and marriage, vie for the mantle of overlord. Three affect to rule with divine assistance. The fourth, whose cousin and sister have been mistreated and whose friend has been slaughtered, watches, and waits. He is a pagan, he is a Mercian, and his name is Penda. By his side is a woman determined to escape her brutal past. She aids his struggle against his treacherous brother and their alliance founds a dynasty with the potential to end injustice and suppression, if only they can continue to stand together... A story that spans generations, and travels from Sutton Hoo to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and back to the buried treasure of Staffordshire, this is the first volume of the tales of the Iclingas, the family who ruled Mercia, fighting to avenge their kin and to keep their people free.

Cometh the Hour - Tales of the Iclingas Book 1

Ever wondered what might have happened if William the Conqueror had been beaten at Hastings? Or if Harald Hardrada had won at Stamford Bridge? Or if Edward the Confessor had died with an heir ready to take his place? Then here is the perfect set of stories for you. ‘1066 Turned Upside Down’ explores a variety of ways in which the momentous year of 1066 could have played out differently.\nWritten by nine well-known authors the stories will take you on a journey through the wonderful ‘what ifs’ of England’s most famous year in history.\n"The real joy of a collection of stories like this is, of course, that you are likely to be introduced to writers you may not have come across before."\n"1066 Turned Upside Down is the exemplar for how counterfactual history should be done, combining the best elements of fiction and non-fiction to create an immensely impressive achievement. I can only hope that we see more anthologies like this and that it is used as a template by future authors and publishers."\n"This is a brilliant anthology. The stories add an alternative twist to one of England's most important events - the Anglo Saxon loss to the Normans at the Battle of Hastings-- with the question, what if? All the stories are richly drawn and for those who aren't familiar with what really happened, an author's note is included with each story so you know what was changed. Well worth a read."

1066 Turned Upside Down: Alternative fiction stories by nine authors

McGrath, Carol

Courtney, Joanna

Redgold, Eliza

Holloway, G.K.

DEE, Richard

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