Ӕthelflӕd: The Lady of the Mercians

Written by Tim Clarkson

Narrated by Hannah Curtis

This Dark Ages biography chronicles the life of one of the period's most famous women: the ruler of Mercia who took England back from the Vikings.



At the end of the ninth century, a large part of what is now England was controlled by the Vikings—warlike Scandinavians 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 when he died in 899 A.D., the task passed to his son Edward. In the early 900s, Edward led a great fight against the Viking armies, assisted by the English rulers of Mercia: Lord Æthelred and his wife Æthelflæd, who was also 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 capable general who was feared by her enemies. In this authoritative biography, Tim Clarkson tells her remarkable life story from childhood to her vital role in saving England from the Vikings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Apr 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781666196764

Tim Clarkson

Tim Clarkson gained a PhD in medieval history (2003) from the University of Manchester and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He is the author of many books on medieval history including Scotland’s Merlin, The Picts: A History, The Makers of Scotland and Aethelflaed: Lady of the Mercians.