Table of Contents

Foreword by Bernard Cornwell Preface List of Illustrations List of Maps Introduction: A Field of Death, 937 1. The Birth of England, to 865 2. The Vikings Arrive, 837–66 3. Alfred and the Viking Conquest, 866–99 4. The Gathering Storm, 900–24 5. The Rise of Athelstan, 924–34 6. The Great Alliance, 934–37 7. Reconstructing Battles 8. The Search for Brunanburh 9. The Ships and the Saga 10. The Day England Came of Age, 937 11. Wirral Archaeology 12. England, Come of Age Appendix: Objections and Alternate Sites Suggested Reading and Acknowledgements Endnotes Index

Promotional Information

Featuring a foreword by Bernard Cornwell, a fascinating study of one of the most significant conflicts in the long history of the British Isles, in a battle that secured England’s future as an independent, unified kingdom.

About the Author

Dr. Michael Livingston holds degrees in History, Medieval Studies, and English, and he teaches the military and cultural history of the Middle Ages at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. With his long list of peer-reviewed scholarly publications, he is a well-regarded figure in medieval academic circles, and his book The Battle of Crécy: A Casebook (Liverpool University Press, 2016) was the winner of the prestigious 2017 Distinguished Book Award from the international Society for Military History. He has also published three historical fantasies (The Shards of Heaven, The Gates of Hell, and The Realms of God) with Tor Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing, as well as many short stories, one of which was a winner in the well-regarded Writers of the Future awards.

Reviews

This is a terrific introduction to a mysterious battle, by a writer who embraces puzzles, admits when he is speculating and finds ingenious ways to shine a light into one of Britain’s darkest ages.
*The Sunday Times*

Written with both the critical gaze of a military historian and the dramatic verve of a historical novelist, this book brings to vibrant and bloody life the momentous battle of Brunanburh in AD 937.
*Robert Woosnam-Savage, FSA, Curator of Armour and Edged Weapons, The Royal Armouries*

Never Greater Slaughter raises the bar for what narrative history can do… This book will wow you as it educates you on the fascinating story of one of the most important battles in British history.
*Myke Cole, Author of 'Legion versus Phalanx'*

Only the most adept of military historians, of writers, can combine combat with context and not lose their readers’ interests. Michael Livingston is one of those. Never Greater Slaughter tells the whole story of the birth of England, from Alfred the Great to Athelstan and Brunanburh. No one tells the history better.
*Kelly DeVries, Professor of History, Loyola University Maryland*

Combines archaeological detective work and forthright battle narratives to fill a hefty gap in readers' knowledge of England's Dark Ages.
*Soldier*