'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 A delicious historical treat -- Stephen Fry 'Fascinating' -- Sunday Telegraph 'Compelling .. impressive in coveying the outlook of the ninth-century man' -- Daily Telegraph 'Lucid and gripping' -- Mail on Sunday 'Pollard writes with a historian's accuracy and sensitivity to context' -- Sunday Herald 'Pollard's admiration and enthusiasm for his subject helps to bring this distant figure to life' -- Tablet '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
