The Battle of Brunanburh : Wirral's Waterloo

High in the air the threatening banners fly, And call his eager troops to victory...In 937, a monumental battle took place, uniting England under a single king for the first time.

Fresh from his final defeat of the Vikings at York ten years earlier, Athelstan and his brother Edmund faced a combined enemy force, emerging as the victors.

Described as the 'greatest single battle in Anglo-Saxon history before the Battle of Hastings' (Alfred Smyth), the Battle of Brunanburh was a bloody assertion of Wessex's dominance in medieval England and a key turning point in British history.

Given Brunanburh's significance, it seems incredible that the battle is not better known today.

Athelstan emerged from the conflict as the first king of a unified England, setting a precedent for centuries to come.

In The Battle of Brunanburh, expert Peter France tells the story of this explosive clash from build-up to aftermath, demonstrating its vital role in the creation of today's Britain, and showcasing compelling new evidence relating to the battle's location.