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  KING OF KINGS     MJ PORTER                 For a man I never met who inspired my love of history, my great-grandfather, George Fullerton (1897–1924).         ‘Here King Edward died at Farndon in Mercia, and very soon, sixteen days after, his son Ælfweard died at Oxford; and their bodies lie at Winchester. And Athelstan was chosen as king by the Mercians, and consecrated at Kingston; and he gave his sister across the sea to the son of the Old Saxons.’  ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE, D TEXT, FOR 925     ‘Here fiery rays appeared in the northern part of the sky. And Sihtric perished and King Athelstan succeeded to the kingdom of Northumbria; and he governed all the kings who were in this island: first Hywel, king of the West Welsh [read South Welsh], and Constantine, king of Scots, and Owain, king of Gwent [read Strathcylde], and Ealdred, Ealdwulf’s offspring, from Bamburgh, And they confirmed peace with pledges and with oaths in a place which is named Rivers’ Meeting on 12 July; and they forbade all devil-worship and then parted in concord.’  ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE, D TEXT, FOR 926(CORRECT TO 927)            CONTENTS          Map       Cast of Characters       Glossary         Prologue       I.  The Path to Peace        Chapter 1       Chapter 2       Chapter 3       Chapter 4       Chapter 5       Chapter 6       Chapter 7       Chapter 8       Chapter 9       Chapter 10       Chapter 11       Chapter 12       Chapter 13       Chapter 14       Chapter 15       Chapter 16       Chapter 17       Chapter 18       Chapter 19       Chapter 20               CAST OF CHARACTERS  (ALL HISTORICAL UNLESS UNDERLINED AND THEN FICTIONAL CHARACTERS)        The English            The English Ealdormen     Ealdorman Wulfgar Ealdorman Æthelfrith of Mercia (d.c.915), an ealdorman and father of Ælfstan, Athelstan, Eadric and Æthelwald Ealdorman Athelstan of the East Angles (from 932), an ealdorman, married to Ælfwynn, the lady of Mercia’s daughter  Ealdorman Ælfstan of Mercia (from 930), Ealdorman Athelstan’s brother Eadric, Ealdorman Athelstan’s brother, not yet an ealdorman Æthelwald, Ealdorman Athelstan’s brother, not yet an ealdorman Ealdorman Guthrum Ealdorman Oswulf Ealdorman Uhtred Jarl Regenwald Jarl Inhwaer Jarl Hadd Jarl Scule Jarl Thurfrith Athelm, archbishop of Canterbury d.926 Wulfheard, archbishop of Canterbury from 926 Hrothweard, archbishop of York Wulfstan, archbishop of York from 931 Frithestan, bishop of Winchester resigned 932, died 933 Hakon, son of Harald Fairhair of Denmark, Athelstan’s foster son     Flodwin, King Athelstan’s warrior   Sigelac, King Athelstan’s warrior   Beohtric, King Athelstan’s messenger        The Scots     The succession strictly alternated between two lines of succession Constantin, son of Aed, king