Too often dismissed as the unready king—unprepared, ill-advised, and incapable of dealing with the military and political crises that faced the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, not least of which were a series of Viking onslaughts—King Aethelred has gone down in history as an incompetent failure. This new biography redresses the indictment, placing Aethelred into his proper historical context. Central to the study is the authoritarian manner in which the king ran the English kingdom for much of his reign. King Aethelred is shown to have made effective use of the infamous Danegel and to have demonstrated royal power on a number of occasions with devastating results. While there were mishaps, disasters, and family intrigue, Aethelred managed to come through these crises until the final Danish invasion of 1013. Illustrated and including original reconstruction paintings, this study gives an insight into the turbulent politics of a 38-year reign and addresses the manner in which King Aethelred used his authority as a medieval English monarch.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
mediocre biography of a mediocre monarch,
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This review is from: Aethelred II: King of the English 978-1016 (English Monarchs) (Paperback)
Not having read other biographies of Aethelred II, I can't say how Ryan Lavelle's compares to them. I would like to see more actual evidence and less speculation. If the available evidence doesn't completely illuminate this period, it's better to admit you don't know than cite one unproven theory after another. The discussion of other figures during Aethelred II's reign is often more interesting than the material about Aethelred II.The illustrations didn't reproduce well in the paperback edition. Overall, I found this book to be a disappointment.
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