'This is the story of England's birth, a great story and beautifully told' -- Bernard Cornwell 'A boisterous portrait of the only English king to earn the epithet 'Great" -- Bettany Hughes, The Times 20051203 'A delicious historical treat' -- Stephen Fry 20051203 'Fascinating' -- Sunday Telegraph 20051203 'Compelling .. impressive in coveying the outlook of the ninth-century man' -- Daily Telegraph 20051203 'Lucid and gripping' -- Mail on Sunday 20051203 'Pollard writes with a historian's accuracy and sensitivity to context' -- Sunday Herald 20051203 'Pollard's admiration and enthusiasm for his subject helps to bring this distant figure to life' -- Tablet 20051203 'Pollard gives us a readable narrative, enhanced by a strong visual sense of place and he takes trouble over the Continental background to insular events' -- Times Literary Supplement 20060519

Justin Pollard read Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge. For the last ten years has worked as a historical writer and consultant in film and television. His credits include the feature films Elizabeth and The Four Feathers as well as over twenty-five documentary series such as Channel Four's popular archaeology programme Time Team. He is the author of Seven Ages of Britain for which he also produced a Channel Four series.