The Monarchy of England: Volume One
An interesting book for anybody fascinated by the concept of kingship is "The Monarchy of England: Volume One: The Beginnings".
This book has been written by the eminent historian David Starkey, familiar for his presentation of TV programmes on historical subjects.
It was written to accompany a series on Channel Four.
David goes way back to the Roman period to discover the origins of kingship, in the form of the Roman Emperors.
He traces the formation of the little Anglo-Saxon kingdoms after the departure of the Roman legions and the subsequent takeover by the English, leading to strong and famous monarchs such as Alfred the Great, and takes the story on to the Norman Conquest from 1066.
Give it a read.
Posted by colin on Friday 30th January, 2009 at 9:20am