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millie_yule's review against another edition
5.0
A great introduction to the life of Athelstan as well as the context of the time and lives of his family. I absolutely loved the dramatic writing style as it was far removed from the stuffy and somewhat pompous style of many books written by academic historians. Also very short. Would recommend.
elerireads's review against another edition
funny
informative
fast-paced
3.5
Not so much the story of Athelstan as of his creation of England. Cool to learn some history I literally knew nothing about and the writing was really good - "Men who had thought by means of sorcery to take on the form and ferocity of a wolf pack now themselves wetted lupine jaws" is one of my new favourite sentences ever.
I had this book hyped up to me a lot and whilst I did enjoy it, I don't think it lived up to the hype.
I had this book hyped up to me a lot and whilst I did enjoy it, I don't think it lived up to the hype.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
paging_snidget's review against another edition
4.0
Succinct and very accessible. This tells the story of Athelstan but also paints the picture of the realm England in the years before and after his reign. In this way we can get the full picture of his achievements even though information on the man himself is scarce.
bookgazing's review against another edition
A really interesting introduction to Athelstan as well as Alfred, Edward, and Aethelflaed which shows how these personalities established a collected England, and influenced the shaping of Britain.
No rating because it seems weird to rate books which are essentially an introduction series to big subjects, but a really good starting point for anyone interested in this period of royal history.
No rating because it seems weird to rate books which are essentially an introduction series to big subjects, but a really good starting point for anyone interested in this period of royal history.
ailed's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure if this book was intended to be so brief or if its size is due to the scarcity of primary sources on Æthelstan. It certainly left me wanting more. I'm off to reading [a:Sarah Foot|362533|Sarah Foot|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png]'s [b:Æthelstan: The First King of England|10361524|Æthelstan The First King of England|Sarah Foot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328828204l/10361524._SX50_.jpg|15264540] to see if I get more information.