Edward the Elder: 899-924 [Paperback]

Edward the Elder, son and successor of King Alfred, was one of the greatest architects of the English state and yet is one of the most neglected kings of English history. During his 24-year reign, Edward led a series of successful campaigns against the Vikings and by the time of his death controlled most of southern and midland England, with his influence also felt in Wales and the north. Edward the Elder is a timely reassessment of his reign and helps to restore this ruler to his rightful place in English history.
The period of Edward's reign is notably lacking in primary materials for historians. But by drawing upon sources as diverse as literature, archaeology, coins and textiles, this book brings together a rich variety of scholarship to offer new insight into the world of Edward the Elder. With this wealth of perspectives, Edward the Elder offers a broad picture of Edward's reign and his relation to the politics and culture of the Anglo-Saxon period.By drawing upon sources as diverse as literature and archaeology, this book brings together a rich variety of scholarship to offer a new insight into the world of Edward the Elder, son and successor of King Alfred.'An important collection.' - Northern History, September 2002List of figures, List of tables, List of contributors, Acknowledgements, 1 Edward the Elders reputation: an introduction, 2 What is not known about the reign of Edward the Elder, 3 Edward as ?theling, 4 Edward, king of the Anglo-Saxons, 5 The coinage of Edward the Elder, 6 The West Saxon tradition of dynastic marriage: with special reference to Edward the Elder, 7 View from the West: an Irish perspective on West Saxon dynastic pactice, 8 Gloucester and the New Minster of St Oswald, 9 ?lfwynn, second lady of the Mercians, 10 Edward the Elders Danelaw, 11 The shiring of Mercia  again, 12 Edward the Elder and the re-establishment of Chester, 13 Tlc