Never Greater Slaughter

Brunanburh and the Birth of England

By: Michael Livingston

Narrated by: Rupert Farley

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents Never Greater Slaughter by Michael Livingston, read by Rupert Farley.

Late in AD 937, four armies met in a place called Brunanburh. On one side stood the shield-wall of the expanding kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons. On the other side stood a remarkable alliance of rival kings - at least two from across the sea – who’d come together to destroy them once and for all. The stakes were no less than the survival of the dream that would become England. The armies were massive. The violence, when it began, was enough to shock a violent age. Brunanburh may not today have the fame of Hastings, Crécy or Agincourt, but those later battles, fought for England, would not exist were it not for the blood spilled this day.

Generations later it was still called, quite simply, the ‘great battle’. But for centuries, its location has been lost. Today, an extraordinary effort, uniting enthusiasts, historians, archaeologists, linguists and other researchers - amateurs and professionals, experienced and inexperienced alike - may well have found the site of the long-lost battle of Brunanburh, over 1,000 years after its bloodied fields witnessed history. This groundbreaking new book tells the story of this remarkable discovery and delves into why and how the battle happened. Most importantly, though, it is about the men who fought and died at Brunanburh, and how much this forgotten struggle can tell us about who we are and how we relate to our past.

©2021 Michael Livingston (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"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)

Convincing Analysis

Loved listening to this book. Great insight and perceptive, scholarly analysis. The author is also co-host of a great history podcast.

Super Interesting!

Another great book by a great medievalist. Livingston is a great writer, and give fantastic insight into such a “dark” chapter in world history

not what i thought it would be

This book is mostly about trying to locate the battle sight than discussing the battle itself. There’s not much narrative or story here.

Not terrible

This isn't a riveting epic of great proportions, but I knew it wasn't going to be going in. I listened to it for what it was, a historical novel with the key players of Allies and England at the time. I enjoyed what I learned and got exactly what I needed from it.

There it is and there you have it.

Disappointing

The small portion of this book dedicated specifically to the battle was excellent. The rest of the book is another overview on the early Middle Ages.

There is no doubt Livingston is knowledgeable and his work is credible. However, I was disappointed in this book.