Anglo-Saxon England – Brandon M. Bender

New Publication! Æthelred the Unready and William of Malmesbury

Is there any hope for Æthelred in mass media, or is he doomed to play the fool forever?

The End of Æthelred: On this day in 1016, King Æthelred II Died

“He ended his days on St. George’s Day, and he had held his kingdom with great toil and difficulties as long as his life lasted.”

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion of Normandy: When, if at all, did it take place?

Æthelred’s plan was to invade Normandy and capture Duke Richard II.

Æthelred the Unready: What Lies Beneath the Legends

The image that had emerged by the 12th century was of a ruler who was afraid of candles, had defecated at his baptism, was scolded at his own coronation, was haunted by the ghost of his murdered brother, and who preferred drinking and sleeping to fighting vikings.

The Anglo-Saxon Magna Carta: Æthelred the Unready’s Agreement of 1014

Using the restoration agreement of 1014 as a starting point, it is possible to make sense of one of the most dramatic eras in English history, when King Æthelred not only had to fend off massive Viking invasions, but also had to navigate through dangerous factions, disloyal subjects, and an open rebellion by his own son.

Æthelred the Unready: New Book Re-examines Infamous Anglo-Saxon King’s Military Practices

After a year and a half of writing, editing, and revising (and many more years of research), it’s finally out: my new book, England’s Unlikely Commander: The Military Career of Æthelred the Unready, is available from Rounded Globe. England’s Unlikely Commander takes a look at the military practices of late Anglo-Saxon England, using sources likeContinue reading “Æthelred the Unready: New Book Re-examines Infamous Anglo-Saxon King’s Military Practices”

New Book: England’s Unlikely Commander

My first book is getting published! It’s called “England’s Unlikely Commander: The Military Career of Æthelred the Unready.”