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Æthelflæd: The Lady of the Mercians
At the end of the ninth century AD, a large part of what is now England was controlled by the Vikings - heathen warriors from Scandinavia who had been attacking the British Isles for more than a hundred years. Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, was determined to regain the conquered lands but his death in 899 meant that the task passed to his son Edward. In the early 900s, Edward led a great fightback against the Viking armies. He was assisted by the English rulers of Mercia: Lord Æthelred and his wife Æthelflæd (Edward's sister).
After her husband's death, Æthelflæd ruled Mercia on her own, leading the army to war and working with her brother to achieve their father's aims. Known to history as the Lady of the Mercians, she earned a reputation as a competent general and was feared by her enemies. She helped to save England from the Vikings and is one of the most famous women of the Dark Ages. This book, published 1100 years after her death, tells her remarkable story.
After her husband's death, Æthelflæd ruled Mercia on her own, leading the army to war and working with her brother to achieve their father's aims. Known to history as the Lady of the Mercians, she earned a reputation as a competent general and was feared by her enemies. She helped to save England from the Vikings and is one of the most famous women of the Dark Ages. This book, published 1100 years after her death, tells her remarkable story.
200 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2018
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452 people want to read
About the author
Tim Clarkson
14 books68 followersAn independent historian writing (and blogging) about early medieval Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 21, 2024
Honestly,I didn't learn too much more about AEthelflaed than I did from a previous book I had read about her.I do realize information is scarce on her personal life and the author seems to have done his best putting out what he could find.Mostly though it was about the events and people around her as well as the archalogical evidence of her burhs or forts. I wasn't big on the writing as it was bit too text book for me and not enough narrative but it seemed really well researched and she is portrayed fairly throughout it.Also a plus for me was the remember section at the end.
August 11, 2025
Tim Clarkson's biography on Æthelflæd (c. 870-918 CE), the daughter of King Alfred the Great and his wife Eahlswith, is a must-read for anyone interested in this incredible woman and Anglo-Saxon history as a whole.
Clarkson presents a chronological telling of Æthelflæd's tale. He begins first with a balanced discussion of the sources documenting her life.
Details mostly come from the various editions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, especially the pro-Æthelflæd Mercian Register, charters, and Irish and Welsh annals. He comments on the pro- and anti-Æthelflæd bents of these sources. This is important to establishing as accurate a depiction of her life as possible.
Clarkson also summarizes aspects of Æthelflæd's life including her marriage to Alfred's ally Æthelred of Mercia, her relationship with her brother Edward, her various burh-building schemes, her military campaigns, and her piety.
These present the picture of a highly intelligent noblewoman who sought to balance her Mercian and Wessexian interests, protect her people, and continue her father's agenda of consolidating the Anglo-Saxon hold over England and contending with various Norse, Danish, and Irish incursions.
Clarkson's work takes on an academic bent, but is approachable in his prose style. Some might struggle with his explanations of the sources, political factions at play, and other historical contextualization. But I found them immensely important, and enjoyable.
Anyone who enjoys Anglo-Saxon history should read this book. Not only does it consolidate the few verifiable facts we know about Æthelflæd, it also presents a concise political history of Anglo-Saxon England from c. 600-1000, give or take a few decades.
Clarkson presents a chronological telling of Æthelflæd's tale. He begins first with a balanced discussion of the sources documenting her life.
Details mostly come from the various editions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, especially the pro-Æthelflæd Mercian Register, charters, and Irish and Welsh annals. He comments on the pro- and anti-Æthelflæd bents of these sources. This is important to establishing as accurate a depiction of her life as possible.
Clarkson also summarizes aspects of Æthelflæd's life including her marriage to Alfred's ally Æthelred of Mercia, her relationship with her brother Edward, her various burh-building schemes, her military campaigns, and her piety.
These present the picture of a highly intelligent noblewoman who sought to balance her Mercian and Wessexian interests, protect her people, and continue her father's agenda of consolidating the Anglo-Saxon hold over England and contending with various Norse, Danish, and Irish incursions.
Clarkson's work takes on an academic bent, but is approachable in his prose style. Some might struggle with his explanations of the sources, political factions at play, and other historical contextualization. But I found them immensely important, and enjoyable.
Anyone who enjoys Anglo-Saxon history should read this book. Not only does it consolidate the few verifiable facts we know about Æthelflæd, it also presents a concise political history of Anglo-Saxon England from c. 600-1000, give or take a few decades.
January 12, 2022
Let me say from the outset that I really enjoyed this book; it is well written and presents the era clearly and concisely. Against that I simply do not recognise some of the other reviews on Amazon - to me it seems like they have read a completely different book!
The book, however, suffers from one major problem - it is a VERY long way from being a biography of Ǣthelflǣd, instead it is, in effect, a narrative history of Wessex and Mercia during her lifetime and that of her father. I fully understand that this is mainly due to a paucity of sources but it does make the claims on the back of the book a little overblown.
A secondary criticism would that too many of the plans of the burghs are heavily ‘conjectural’ - indeed in some examples the whole of the plan except the terrain is labelled ‘conjectural’! This is more of an annoying point, rather than a critical one but I do wonder if there were not other sites where ‘conjectural’ would have appeared less.
That apart this is an excellent book and although is obvious that the author is most comfortable when he is discussing archaeology his narrative of the history is easy to follow and cleanly demonstrates the importance of Mercia in the ‘birth’ of England, an importance often overshadowed in most narratives by Wessex.
For anyone with an interest in the late Anglo-Saxon period or even if you just want some good historical background to your watching of ‘Last Kingdom’ then I thoroughly recommend this book.
The book, however, suffers from one major problem - it is a VERY long way from being a biography of Ǣthelflǣd, instead it is, in effect, a narrative history of Wessex and Mercia during her lifetime and that of her father. I fully understand that this is mainly due to a paucity of sources but it does make the claims on the back of the book a little overblown.
A secondary criticism would that too many of the plans of the burghs are heavily ‘conjectural’ - indeed in some examples the whole of the plan except the terrain is labelled ‘conjectural’! This is more of an annoying point, rather than a critical one but I do wonder if there were not other sites where ‘conjectural’ would have appeared less.
That apart this is an excellent book and although is obvious that the author is most comfortable when he is discussing archaeology his narrative of the history is easy to follow and cleanly demonstrates the importance of Mercia in the ‘birth’ of England, an importance often overshadowed in most narratives by Wessex.
For anyone with an interest in the late Anglo-Saxon period or even if you just want some good historical background to your watching of ‘Last Kingdom’ then I thoroughly recommend this book.
October 29, 2020
This book is mis-titled. It's the story of the germanic tribes who became the Anglo-Saxons of Mercia and Wessex in the early medieval period - basically a re-telling of the various versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles covering the south and midlands of Britain. Aethelflaed does get a mention here and there but nothing more than could be gleaned from the Chronicles and with no extra analysis of what it might mean to be a female leader of the period. Disappointing.
September 3, 2023
This was an enjoyable and easily-digestible biography of a lesser-known English heroine. The Lady of the Mercians is probably the most consequential medieval woman that nobody has ever heard of.
In that regard, I think the author strikes the right balance between offering context around Wessex/Mercia and other key figures, if at times this feels like we lose Æthelflæd and her story.
My only critique would have been that at times this read like an archaeological roll call of all the sites founded by the Mercian Queen, and perhaps a thematic approach rather than purely chronological would have avoided this repetitiveness.
However, overall this is a fascinating biography on a women who defied gender norms and played a key role in the creation of England as we know it.
In that regard, I think the author strikes the right balance between offering context around Wessex/Mercia and other key figures, if at times this feels like we lose Æthelflæd and her story.
My only critique would have been that at times this read like an archaeological roll call of all the sites founded by the Mercian Queen, and perhaps a thematic approach rather than purely chronological would have avoided this repetitiveness.
However, overall this is a fascinating biography on a women who defied gender norms and played a key role in the creation of England as we know it.
Read
October 20, 20255 out of 10
“Alfred, Edward and their male heirs are often regarded as the founders of England but Æthelflæd played a role equal to theirs and deserves similar acclaim.” (p. 261)
Clarkson’s biography is a serviceable narrative history of the life and times of Alfred the Great’s daughter Æthelflæd, who ruled Mercia with her husband Æthelred from the 890s to 911, and then solely until her death in 918, when her brother Edward (king of Wessex) deposed her daughter and completed the integration of Mercia into the West Saxon state.
Recommended if you’re interested in this region and period of Medieval history.
“Alfred, Edward and their male heirs are often regarded as the founders of England but Æthelflæd played a role equal to theirs and deserves similar acclaim.” (p. 261)
Clarkson’s biography is a serviceable narrative history of the life and times of Alfred the Great’s daughter Æthelflæd, who ruled Mercia with her husband Æthelred from the 890s to 911, and then solely until her death in 918, when her brother Edward (king of Wessex) deposed her daughter and completed the integration of Mercia into the West Saxon state.
Recommended if you’re interested in this region and period of Medieval history.
August 27, 2024
There are all too few women whose names are known in the Anglo-Saxon era and even fewer with details about their lives. The books does an excellent jobs exploring what is known about the remarkable Aetheflaed, daughter of King Alfred, who ruled over the Mercians after the death of her husband. The author takes pains to educate us on the various sources used and allows us to have a glimpse of this lady and the history of her times. Fascinating work.
May 2, 2023
If you are looking for an overview of the Anglo-Saxon period, this is a very good starting point. However, less than half the book truly focuses on Aethelflaed. The first third sets the stage, catches the reader up to her moment in history - board strokes for the 8th c, in more detail once we enter Alfred’s lifetime. The half that takes place during Aethelflaeds active leadership period is heavily restricted to military campaigns and locations of her buhrs, which consequently means she shares a lot of her pages with her brother, Edward. I suspect this is because that is the available source material. This was not an age of personal letters and diary keeping, and even if it were, many of those documents would have been lost. However, I was really hoping to spend more time leaning into who Aethelflaed May have been, more time inside Mercia. I can’t help but feel that we must have more information about what was happening with Mercia than some land grants and frontier building projects. Maybe we just don’t know more, but this book felt like an overview more than an biography. Again, a concise and useful entry into the late 9th and early 10th England, and a great historical reference if you are reading/watching the Saxon Chronicles, but the title is misleading.
January 28, 2023
The title is a bit misleading, because, and I am not disregarding that contextualisation is necessary and important work, the book addresses her parents', her husband's and her brother's deeds as well and is doing so in quite a detail.
Yet, it is fascinating that such a woman as Aethelflaed (some Old English names are so beautiful!) existed at a time during which the kingdom of Mercia needed some restoring to its old glory: She was a woman who commanded armies not by proxy of her generals, but rather in person.
Keep in mind that this was the early 10th century when she was able to have men defer to her wit and her authority.
Sadly, she had been in power only for eight years when she died, and her daughter, her rightful successor, was then quickly bundled off into a cloister by her own (the daughter's) uncle.
Yet, it is fascinating that such a woman as Aethelflaed (some Old English names are so beautiful!) existed at a time during which the kingdom of Mercia needed some restoring to its old glory: She was a woman who commanded armies not by proxy of her generals, but rather in person.
Keep in mind that this was the early 10th century when she was able to have men defer to her wit and her authority.
Sadly, she had been in power only for eight years when she died, and her daughter, her rightful successor, was then quickly bundled off into a cloister by her own (the daughter's) uncle.
May 18, 2025
Well researched, easy to absorb, but the chapters about Aethelflaed make up perhaps half of the book. The context is, of course, important, and when someone embarks on reading a book about an Anglo-Saxon, one can't expect a detailed biography. It's actually impressive how many mentions the author was able to find of her.
As a non-Brit, all the speculation on the locations of forts, etc, kind of went over my head. But that's a me problem...
Could this have been an email? Sure, but if you want a summary of all available info about this woman, complete with what went before, after, and around her, this is a quality book.
As a non-Brit, all the speculation on the locations of forts, etc, kind of went over my head. But that's a me problem...
Could this have been an email? Sure, but if you want a summary of all available info about this woman, complete with what went before, after, and around her, this is a quality book.
January 24, 2022
While it is an excellent read for those interested in the Anglo-Saxon period of English history and a fascinating story about one of the first English women to hold power in her own right (whether or not she was a queen), this is not a biography. The sources on Æthelflæd are few and therefore makes writing a full-length book about her difficult if not impossible, so it is understandable that this book focuses more on the history of this period and the political environment during her lifetime, however, there is not enough focus or information on Æthelflæd to call this a biography.
Still, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this area of history. It’s well written, highly informative, and an overall enjoyable read.
Still, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this area of history. It’s well written, highly informative, and an overall enjoyable read.
July 22, 2023
This was one I already had on my TBR list but definitely wanted to get to after finishing Femina, as Æthelflæd is one of the women from early England that Ramírez discusses and one I knew very little about. She’s a fascinating figure, as a woman who clearly played an important military and strategic role in relations between the Danes and the West Saxons, as well as being Alfred the Great’s daughter, someone who had an early influence on Æthelstan, victor at Brunanburh and arguably the first king of “England,” and a female ruler who tried to pass on the rule of Mercia to her own daughter but was ultimately thwarted. I’m not super knowledgeable about the women of pre-Norman England, but I’ve been trying to learn more about them this summer, and dang, this period of history has a lot going on!
This book was a kind of choppy read, divided into many small sections, and a lot of it was background about Alfred the Great and the relationship between Mercia and Wessex rather than Æthelflæd per se, but that’s kind of what happens when you’re trying to assess the importance of a figure about whom there just aren’t that many historical records. I appreciated the overview at the beginning of the different versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and other chronicle and charter sources for information about Æthelflæd, considering the reliability of each—that’s something I might make a brief note on when talking about primary source research with my students. I also thought the end about local legends and after-the-fact memories of Æthelflæd, and the places associated with them, was quite interesting, and reminded me of something like the first chapter of Andrew B. R. Elliott’s Medievalism, Politics and Mass Media: Appropriating the Middle Ages in the Twenty-First Century where he talks about the intersection of different historical periods in the geographic space of the European city and the visible presence of the medieval in street names, city layouts, and buildings.
It's not necessarily a thrilling read, but it’s a clear and informative overview of Æthelflæd, her background, and her importance. I think in whole or in part it might also make for helpful background reading for the undergraduate classroom.
This book was a kind of choppy read, divided into many small sections, and a lot of it was background about Alfred the Great and the relationship between Mercia and Wessex rather than Æthelflæd per se, but that’s kind of what happens when you’re trying to assess the importance of a figure about whom there just aren’t that many historical records. I appreciated the overview at the beginning of the different versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and other chronicle and charter sources for information about Æthelflæd, considering the reliability of each—that’s something I might make a brief note on when talking about primary source research with my students. I also thought the end about local legends and after-the-fact memories of Æthelflæd, and the places associated with them, was quite interesting, and reminded me of something like the first chapter of Andrew B. R. Elliott’s Medievalism, Politics and Mass Media: Appropriating the Middle Ages in the Twenty-First Century where he talks about the intersection of different historical periods in the geographic space of the European city and the visible presence of the medieval in street names, city layouts, and buildings.
It's not necessarily a thrilling read, but it’s a clear and informative overview of Æthelflæd, her background, and her importance. I think in whole or in part it might also make for helpful background reading for the undergraduate classroom.
March 31, 2020
An excellent laying out of the facts known about the Lady of the Mercians and her life. Clearly well-researched and written in an accessible style, this covers everything, starting off with the history of Mercia and it goes right up to beyond her death to explain what happened to Mercia afterwards. It also talks about each of the burhs that she built and her work with her brother, Edward. What I thought was a really good touch was that the author also then talks about how the Lady has been portrayed in fiction, too. I've read about her life in Bernard Cornwell's books and in Annie Whitehead's To Be A Queen and I thought this was a good round-up of what's been written about her. I see that some other books have also been written about her life so they are now on my list.
August 28, 2020
Highly recommended
Clarkson does an excellent job of analyzing the primary and early secondary sources as well as later scholarship and then presenting that information in a very cohesive narrative that really paints a picture of Aethelflaed and the world she lived in. The Mercian Register appears as an appendix, and there are several pictures interesting color photos of historic sites as well as representations of Aethelflaed in art. It would be helpful to have a general understanding of Anglo-Saxon England before tackling this book, but it's not necessary.
Clarkson does an excellent job of analyzing the primary and early secondary sources as well as later scholarship and then presenting that information in a very cohesive narrative that really paints a picture of Aethelflaed and the world she lived in. The Mercian Register appears as an appendix, and there are several pictures interesting color photos of historic sites as well as representations of Aethelflaed in art. It would be helpful to have a general understanding of Anglo-Saxon England before tackling this book, but it's not necessary.
January 13, 2023
This book actually does give some great insight in to what Ethelflaed actually did as "Lady of the Mercians". The building of burghs within Mercia, the expansion of Mercian territory, the respect that she gleaned from other contemporary rulers and the authors great ability to pull out the clear impact that she left from analysing many different chronicles makes this an informative and worth while read.I have read plenty of books on the Anglo Saxon kingdoms and I can assure you that this book utilised the meagre resources available perfectly.
September 28, 2024
A woman who is quite rightly getting the attention she deserves. Although not a queen by title in her own time, she is worthy of the title Queen. Clarkson puts together a vivid depiction of the Lady of the Mercians. Her impact in the west Midlands and on the forging of Britain alongside her brother King Edward the Elder. Loved this book, consice and to the point its a good book to tell you the story of this remarkable medieval woman.
August 22, 2023
More a history of Mercia in the late 9th and early 10th centuries than it is a biography of Æthelflæd, this is still an interesting read and a decent survey of that history. Would have liked more about Æthelflæd herself, but with so few sources for her there's only so much that can be said with any certainty I suppose.
April 13, 2024
A really interesting read about a woman everyone in England should know of but does not. Initally, this book was not what I expected as it covers a lot about all the people and events around Aethelflaed rather than anything about her. However, you do get a flavour for her in the end - not that the anglo saxon chronicle is much use for this. stick with the book, its a good read!
May 31, 2024
This is a well written book, but there's probably not really enough material on Æthelflæd to warrant a full-length book. As a result, this is more a story about England in the early tenth century that features Ætheflæd as one of its characters.
October 3, 2024
I was wondering how there could be enough material on Æthelflæd for a full-length book. Turns out there isn't. As a lot of the other reviews say, this is basically a history of Anglo-Saxon England at the turn of the ninth century.
June 6, 2022
This a dry but solid work about the early Briton queen. This bogs down at times in sections about town foundings.
December 11, 2022
Kdkck
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
A good account of Aethelflaed's importance in the creation of England. I'll echo the other reviews: the nature and scarcity of evidence means it has to look broadly.
Read
June 26, 2023I’d say read the last section first. The rest of it is excellent but is mostly strategy against invasions.
August 7, 2023
A good and detailed (inasmuch as possible) biography of one of the most interesting rulers of Anglo-Saxon period and my personal favourite ❤️
December 22, 2023
Actually, I found this book to be boring. I like history that is heavy on personalities and culture. This one is chapter after chapter of petty kings brangling endless over borders and territory.
July 13, 2024
Facinating
June 11, 2025
Well researched, but it bit dry as it reads like a textbook.
December 7, 2025
aethelflæd my beloved <3
collecting more & more female figures from early britain and england, one book at a time… boudica & matilda i next!
collecting more & more female figures from early britain and england, one book at a time… boudica & matilda i next!
May 23, 2022
i'd be surprised if there is enough info on any individual from the anglo saxon era to fill a book, therefore you can reasonably expect to find a lot of background, other people, events, and so on
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews