Battle for the Island Kingdom

England's Destiny 1000-1066

By: Don Hollway

Narrated by: John Sackville

Bloomsbury presents Battle for the Island Kingdom by Don Hollway, read by John Sackville.

SHORTLISTED 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.

This is a gripping tale of divided loyalties, treason and military might by master storyteller Don Hollway, author of the critically acclaimed The Last Viking.

Critic reviews

A great book both for those exploring the story behind the Norman Conquest for the first time, and for more knowledgeable readers who want to read a fresh account of it.

Battle for the Island Kingdom is thoroughly enjoyable, and is recommended to anyone looking for a comprehensive and accessible history of the period.

The story of England and how it came to be a Norman possession is an intricate and fascinating one. This is a very readable book which opens up this complex period.

A vivid retelling of a powerful story from one of the great authorities of the period.

Very informative and interesting

A well written book that gives and fair and balanced look at the history of the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Did make me cry over a king dead 1000 years.

Very very interesting and well organised.

This is an excellent explanation and investigation of the subject. Fascinating. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Eloquently and clearly narrated by John Stackville

A vibrant, clear and dramatic performance by narrator, John Stackville. His bold and superior pronunciation of French, Latin, Norse, Middle and Early English, and other languages and dialects projects Hollway’s depiction of the years leading to and Norman Duke Williams’ conquest of England, an era of violence, internecine struggle, and battles won and lost that changed the course of history.

Wonderfully told

Fantastic story telling of a complex period that involved many, and yet thr author brings it all together in a way that satisfies all interests.

The narrator is adequate, it's just that his tone and accent sometimes makes it difficult to hear.

Outstanding

Nasterful storytelling interspersed with detailed historical accounts that gives its readers rare insights into many facts that are too often glossed over in historical recountings of what led up to 1066.