Battle for the Island Kingdom - Vikings, Anglo-Saxons & Normans, 1000-1066

SHORTLIST FOR MILITARY HISTORY MATTERS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 Includes all the key individuals that inspired the final season of Netflix''s Vikings: Valhalla and the brand-new BBC drama King and Conqueror . Bloody battles, political intrigues and dynastic marriages all played a part in shaping a nascent England. Battle for the Island Kingdom is a rich history of the violent six decades when Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and ultimately Normans vied for the English crown before the seismic Battle of Hastings determined the fate of England for centuries. Discover the defining personalities of the age, from the English king Aethelred and his nemesis Viking Svein Forkbeard to Cnut who forged an empire across England and Scandinavia only for his Norman queen Emma and Saxon consort Aelfifu to pit his sons against each other. We discover how the power-hungry Earl Godwin plays all sides until his own son Harold eventually seizes the crown and why Harold''s brother Tostig chose to betray both him and his people for the Norman William the Bastard, who would become William the Conqueror. Thisis a gripping tale of divided loyalties, treason and military might by master storyteller Don Hollway, author of the critically acclaimed The Last Viking .

About the author

Don Hollway is an author and historian. His first book, The Last Viking, is a gripping history of King Harald Hardrada which was acclaimed by bestselling author Stephen Harding, by Carl Gnam of Military Heritage magazine and by Michael Dirda in The Washington Post. He is also a classical rapier fencer. His Battle for the Island Kingdom (Osprey, 2023) was shortlisted in the Military History Matters 2024 book awards. He lives in Pennsylvania.

Product details

• Authors: Don Hollway
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.12.2025
• EAN: 9781472858924
• ISBN: 978-1-4728-5892-4
• No. of pages: 432
• Dimensions: 128 mm x 196 mm x 30 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Middle Ages; England, military history, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / Middle Ages (449-1066), HISTORY / Military / Medieval, Medieval History, British & Irish history, c 1000 CE to c 1500, Battles & campaigns, European history: medieval period, middle ages, c 400 to c 1066 (Anglo-Saxon period), European history: the Vikings, Battles and campaigns, c 1000 to c 1170 (Norman period), Medieval warfare (predating gunpowder warfare), HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / General