SEARCHING FOR BRUNANBURH

In 937, four armies met at a place called Brunanburh. Three of them were an alliance led by Anlaf Guthfrithson, Viking King of Dublin; Constantine II, King of Alba (Scotland); and Owain, King of Strathclyde. These allies came together against Athelstan, the first king of England and grandson of Alfred the Great. Then known as the Great Battle, this huge engagement shocked a violent age and resulted in a decisive victory for Athelstan.

Professor Michael Livingston has written a new book called Never Greater Slaughter about Brunanburh, with a forward by bestselling author Bernard Cornwell. Livingston discusses why the battle was fought, its importance to English history