Kings and Queens of Early Britain

About Kings and Queens of Early Britain

A fully revised new paperback edition of the standard work on the figures who shaped Britain's history and culture

From the Roman invaders and their most famous opponent, the warrior queen Boudicca, to the 9th century scholar, inventor and military genius King Alfred, this gripping retelling brings the monarchs of the past to life.

Geoffrey Ashe uncovers the stories of extraordinary characters such as the Roman Emperor Carausius who fought for Britain's independence against his own Empire, the Welsh hero Cadwaladr, last of the pre-Saxon royalty, and Kenneth MacAlpine who unified Scotland in the year 843.

He also investigates the real identity of the most mysterious and powerful figure of all, King Arthur, revealing remarkable evidence of the facts that inspired his timeless legend.

Geoffrey Ashe draws on history, poetry, art and archaeology in this dramatic and authoritative account of the men and women who transformed a primitive, war-torn island into a modern kingdom and earned their places in history and imagination.

The Author

Geoffrey Ashe

Geoffrey Ashe is an internationally recognised historian, lecturer and author specialising in British history and mythology, in particular the legends of Glastonbury, where he lives. He has held visiting professorships with several American universities and has written more than twenty books, including Kings & Queens of Early Britain (Methuen 9780413777331) and Mythology of the British Isles (Methuen 9780413777324), The Discovery of King Arthur and the widely acclaimed biography Gandhi. A member of the International Arthurian Society, Geoffrey Ashe has also been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature since 1963.