Livingston, Michael Never Greater Slaughter. Brunanburh and the Birth of England

The Battle of Brunanburh is one of the most significant battles in the long history not just of England, but of the whole of the British Isles. Late in AD 937, four armies met in a place called Brunanburh. On one side stood the shield-wall of the expanding kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons. On the other side stood a remarkable alliance of the rival Viking and Celtic kings of Dublin, Scotland and Strathclyde, who had come together to destroy them once and for all. The stakes were no less than the survival of the dream that would become England. For centuries, the site of the Battle of Brunanburh has been lost, but after an extraordinary eff ort, uniting enthusiasts, historians, archaeologists, linguists, and other researchers, it may well have been found over a thousand years after its bloodied fields witnessed history. This book will detail the story of this remarkable discovery, why and how the battle happened, and, most importantly, who the men who fought and died at Brunanburh were.

For centuries the site of the Battle of Brunanburh has been unknown, but after an extraordinary effort bringing together enthusiasts, historians, archaeologists, linguists and other researchers, it may have been found over a thousand years after the events surrounding these bloody fields. This book tells the story of this remarkable discovery, why and how the battle took place and, most importantly, who the men were who fought and died at Brunanburh.