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The battle of Brunanburh was once one of the most famous British battles, remembered as a mighty clash in which King Athelstan defeated an alliance of Scottish, Irish and other enemies, preventing them from invading and potentially dismembering his kingdom. The battle was remembered for the great slaughter involved
The first half of the book is an entirely uncontroversial account of the rise of England, the Viking threat, the career of Alfred the Great, the difficult period between his death and the rise of Athelstan and the formation of the grand alliance that fought against him at Brunanburh.
The second half of the book focuses on the search for the lost site of the battle. The basic problem is that that there is no other contemporary evidence for the location of Brunanburh (or any of the other names given to the battle)
I found the arguments in favour of the battle having been fought on the Wirral perfectly convincing. Most of Livingston’s arguments for placing it there make sense – looking at possible transport links, the location of the various members of the anti-English alliance and the time they probably had to reach the battlefield. The use of sources is good, and there is a useful section looking at alternative locations for the battle, and producing arguments against them. I’m not saying that I’m convinced this is definitely the location of the battle, but Livingston has certainly made a good case for the Wirral.
I am less convinced by the attempt to find the precise battlefield. This seems to largely rely on ‘military logic’ - where the possible routes of possible Roman roads cross hills and streams etc, but I suspect equally good arguments could be made for dozens of alternative locations in this general area. Even for much later and better documented battles the exact location can be difficult to find.
Overall this book combines an excellent history of this crucial battle, with an interesting and credible attempt to find it’s location.
Chapters
1 – The Birth of England, to 865
2 – The Vikings Arrive, 837-66
3 – Alfred and the Viking Conquest, 866-99
4 – The Gathering Storm, 900-24
5 – The Rise of Athelstan, 924-34
6 – The Great Alliance, 934-37
7 – Reconstructing Battles
8 – The Search for Brunanburg
9 – The Ships and the Saga
10 – The Day England Came of Age, 937
11 – Wirral Archaeology
12 – England, Come of Age
Author: Michael Livingston
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 224
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 2022