Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom

by Annie Whitehead

Many people know about Wessex, the "Last Kingdom" of the Anglo-Saxons to fall to the Northmen, but another kingdom, Mercia, once enjoyed supremacy over all of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Those interested in the period will surely have heard of Penda, Offa, and Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, but remarkably there is no single book that tells their story in its entirety. Historically, the records are in two halves, pre- and post-Viking, in the way they have been preserved. Pre-Viking, virtually all the source material was written by the victims of Mercian aggression and expansion. Post-Viking, the surviving documents tend to hail from places which were not sacked or burned by the Northmen. The inclusion of those records here allows for the exploration of Mercia post-924. Examining the roles of the great ealdormen in the anti-monastic reaction of the 10th century, through the treachery of Eadric Streona in the 11th, and the last, brave young earls who made a stand against William the Conqueror, this book shows the important role the Mercians played in the forging of the English nation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, British Literature

288 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2021

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

very detailed book chartering the history of the Kingdom of Mercia but felt it was slightly heavy going . learnt a lot but felt it could of been more enjoyable though.

[John Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mercia provides a detailed account of an obscure kingdom in English history from the 7th through 10th century, A.D. The book is meticulously researched and very well-written, providing conclusions reached by sifting through the scant resources available to produce a timeline of Mercian rulers and their history. It’s really a fascinating read for history lovers looking to learn about a little- known historical era. The author, a member of the Royal Historical Society and Historical Writers Association, includes an extensive bibliography and list of on-line sources for those interested in additional reading. The book is also beautifully produced, with a nice cover design, crisp jacket and vivid photographs. I highly recommend it for history lovers.

[Ian Nisbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maps, I want more maps. And a pronouncing guide to the names.
As the book says, comparatively little is written about Mercia and that usually by their enemies so it is good to have a coherent history in one book bringing together what is known and speculated. But it is a slog and I doubt that very much as stuck but I do now know where I can go for a refresh. Living in the city that straddles the ancient border between Mercia and Northumberland and where King Ecgbert is recognised as the first King of all England I found it a little odd to be reading about happenings in London and Gloucestershire. Overall I felt that the book was lacking is some respects (other than the maps) but I accept that that is due to the shortage of raw material. The Mercians were the last pagan kingdom so were the last to literacy, they didn't write down what they did and the people they were doing it to were busy. Now I want to read something equivalent for Northumberland.

[Millie Thom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I delved into this book knowing I was in for an interesting, detailed and informative read. The early history of Mercia isn’t a period I’ve personally looked into, but after reading Ms Whitehead’s novel, ‘Cometh the Hour’ – which largely features the pagan Penda, one of Mercia’s earliest, influential kings – I became intrigued, and realised this non-fiction work about the history of the Mercian kingdom was exactly what I needed to read. And I was not disappointed.

To have written such an in-depth book of this calibre is a remarkable achievement, one that could only have been realised by someone with a love and fascination for this period of British history – which Ms Whitehead clearly has. It is also evident that she has considerable experience in the field of research, which has enabled her to sift through and analyse the mountains of diverse and often contradictory source material, as well as considering archaeological evidence. Many of the written sources do not originate in Mercia itself, but rather, in surrounding Anglo Saxon kingdoms, often with little or no reason to praise Mercia – hence the need for bias to be taken into account, which the author discusses on various occasions. Other chroniclers were writing a few centuries after the event.

The book does exactly as the title suggests in that it considers the various characters, events and issues involved in the rise of Mercia in 7th century until its eventual decline. The sources, annals, chronicles and more recent scholarly texts are many and varied, and I have every admiration for the author for sifting through them so well. Mercia’s interactions with rival kingdoms over the years are fascinating, particularly those with Northumbria early on, but also with Wessex and East Anglia, as well as the kingdoms kingdoms of the Celtic Welsh.

Starting with Penda in 626 and ending with Ceolwulf II in 879, we look at Mercia’s kings, their achievements and relations with other kingdoms, and continue until Mercia is reduced to a kingdom of earldoms in the tenth century. Intermarriages and alliances play a part, as do treachery and murder. I was particularly interested to read of the number of murderous women – ‘the evil queens’ – and, of course, the possible/likely bias surrounding accounts of their actions. Offa is one of the kings I did know a little about and I found it interesting that for such a well-known name, there is so little documentary and chronicled evidence about him.

I very much enjoyed reading the story of Mercia’s past – a region I’ve lived almost ‘plonk in the middle of’ since 1985! The book is very well written and extremely well presented, from its stunning cover and fascinating text to the Notes pertaining to the sources and the useful and extensive Bibliography and Index at the back. I would highly recommend this book to anyone researching the history of Mercia, either in its entirety or specific periods of it – or to anyone simply interested in history.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent scholarly account of what we do and don't know about the kingdom of Mercia.

[Tony Riches · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit to knowing little about Mercia until I read this much-needed new book from Annie Whitehead. I don't think I'd have liked to be King of Mercia. If you weren't misrepresented by later chroniclers, you might be murdered by your own subjects or join the list of forgotten kings.

It must have been like putting together a jigsaw puzzle while knowing several pieces were missing, yet Annie does some clever detective work to provide us with what I suspect is one of the clearest pictures of the Mercian kingdom so far.

Drawing from a wide range of sources, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, we are taken through the complex and sometimes obscure world of a kingdom which has had a profound impact on English history, yet few people are aware of.

I particularly liked learning about the 'elusive' King Æthelbald of Mercia. I previously thought Æthelbald was King of Wessex - but confusingly, this is another (arguably more important) king of the same name. It seems I am not alone, as Annie Whitehead describes Æthelbald of Mercia as. 'one of the most successful kings of whom few people have heard'.

This Æthelbald was ahead of his time in trying to control the vast wealth and lands of the monasteries. Assassinated in 757 by his own bodyguards, Æthelbald failed in the one duty of a king, to have a wife to give him an heir (although he was accused of fornicating with nuns). Offa, grandson of Æthelbald's cousin Eanwulf, seized the throne and then I was on more familiar ground, although I now realise I why I know little of the details of King Offa's life.

Annie Whitehead notes that, 'Resserching Offa it is hard to get a sense of the man. It is as if reading a novel where the main character is other talked about by other characters and we don't really see him in action.' This problem seems to apply to all the Mercian kings, yet this book will change your thinking about the kingdom of Mercia. Scholarly and readable, I'm happy to recommend it.

Tony Riches

[Mervyn Eastman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I lost the will to live

The star rating & rather cryptic heading in no way reflects the obvious knowledge and writing ability of this well regarded author. It more reflects my trying to run with regard to Anglo Saxon history before I can walk. I this stumbled over the names, the relationships and complexities of the period.
I have read several books ( fiction & non fiction) related to this period and survived all without injury.
So, this review is one that teaches me a valuable lesson, "don't think you're ready for an Anglo Saxon feast, stick with a light but nutritious lunch"

By the way I have immediately ordered another book by A. Whitehead, but I'll let my stomach settle before I start on it!

[Tom Fordham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dense but outstanding book following Mercia's rise to supremacy and its decline into obscurity. Whitehead takes the scholarly approach and there is a vast wealth of information to read chronologically and come back to in reference. Mercia has no doubt been overshadowed by Wessex, so this was a refreshing to read about Anglo-Saxon history from a different perspective. There's something quite moving about the mighty kingdom of Penda and Offa, was absorbed by Wessex and relegated to an earldom. Even so, this is a must read for all those interested in the history of Mercia and the Midlands.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comprehensive , if slightly dry, book gives a very decent history of one of the pre eminent Saxon kingdoms. Along with the familiar names such as Penda, Offa and Aethelflaed, this gives us space to hear about many others. There is excellent use of both primary sources and the work of previous Saxon era specialists.

Although Mercia was the pre eminent kingdom until its final assimilation into Wessex this book does show that volumes on other kingdoms would be a good idea.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 52 Book Challenge - November Mini Challenge - 1) Non Fiction (Genre A)

This was an interesting read and I learnt a lot, but it is very heavy going. I did struggle to keep all of the names separate, and it could be a little difficult to follow.

[Peter Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of good quality information in this book. It's very comprehensive, taking the tale of Mercia right up to the end of the Anglo-Saxon age. This is no bad thing, as too many books tend to finish a tad early, however, it does mean that the later chapters are more about personages with ties to Mercia than about the area per se.

Structurally this book is mostly chronological, but with Penda coming first, almost as a prologue, before the actual early formation of the kingdom in the next chapter. This works well, even if it does lead to a touch of repetition, or a few things commented on later when they may have fitted the Penda chapter, such as Edwin's trip to East Anglia possibly being linked to the result of the battle at Bangor. I found the early chapters to be particularly interesting.

Whitehead makes a good point that for the early period precise dates are less important than the sequence of events and I can fully subscribe to this. Kirby gets bogged down with alternative dates and it really hurts his flow at times, whereas this book doesn't suffer that problem. There are lots of endnotes (I would have preferred footnotes) so when you recognise a quote you can see if you are right. Rather nicely and in contrast to a lot of works, she gives specific charter numbers rather than just saying 'a charter' and that is great – more folk should follow this practice. This book is very detailed concerning Aelfhere, Wulfric Spott and the summary on the shiring of Mercia (appendix no2) is splendid.

It would have been nice to have more maps, but the thing I had the most mixed views on was the knowing inclusion of doubtful sources with often dubious late information. It's obvious that Whitehead was aware that they were unlikely tales and they were included to show alternative records of events as well as for completeness. On the one hand this does give more variety and even spurious charters often have some truth in the ancillary details, but to include some that can be rejected out of hand doesn't really add anything apart from bulk to the narrative.

There were hardly any errors in this work and the couple that I found are more clerical errors than the result of any misunderstanding of the period. We have a clerk instead of a cleric, which crops up in a lot of books and Wilfrid is associated with the archbishopric of York instead of the bishopric of York. I did find the writing style to be a touch heavy in some places though. The pages don't really fly by, but it's a good book all the same with a lot to get your teeth into.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I see from previous reviews that I am in a minority, but I found this book a big disappointment. It is dense, heavy reading, chock full of similarly named royalty/ nobility (alliterative naming was an Anglo Saxon thing apparently) that murder and blind each other, in between fighting wars. Of their lives, or more importantly, the lives of the lesser inhabitants, we learn absolutely nothing. I realise the records are sparse, but there must be far more learned from archaeology than gets a mention here.

For the first time this year, I almost gave up on a book, though I did learn a little at the end about the period immediately before 1066, and there was a useful appendix, “The Danes in Mercia”

[Kr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great academic work tying these strands together! However, with only one map, occasional chronological backtracks, no glossary of period terms, no guide to pronunciation, and very many similar names, I found it tough to follow, though I persevered. If I were already extremely well-versed in this period and in English geography, it might have been easier going, though centuries of power struggles, blindings, murder, and war do get tedious in and of themselves. Some glimpse of what ordinary people might have doing would have been welcome among the unremitting dramas of the elites. It would have been helpful if the photos were referenced in the text, and vice versa. The chapter on "The Lord and Lady of the Mercians" was the most readable.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a thoroughly fascinating book. There is a little less known about Mercia than some of the other ancient kingdoms, partly because Bede disliked them. This author discusses all available sources of that time, including the often overlooked Tribal Hidage. She also delves into how the information we do have can indicate what might have occurred and her logic is very well constructed. She also uses other scholarly works to discuss her agreement or disagreement with their conclusions and her bibliography is very useful for continued interest in this era. The writing style is also very good, even with all of the rather confusing names. Well done.

[Cynthia Raleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although very interested in it, I'm not well-versed in the history of Mercia. I was so impressed by Annie Whitehead's meticulous research and sorting out what must have been a quagmire of variable and contradictory facts. With the multitude of same/similar names and very few sources for information to be gleaned from, writing a book which presented these historical figures with a spark of humanity is an amazing task to accomplish. I know I will refer back to this for information in the future.

[Alessio Guerrini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Omg this one was so heavy and boring to read. First at all it’s not history of Mercia but history of the kings of Mercia. Cause missing of writing and documents a lot of conjectures, and for filling the pages often there are repeating of sentences and events. Very hard to follow as book and in the end I’ve not learned much. I’m not saying it’s bad for it’s not but I won’t recommend it.

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it very hard going and difficult to follow although the book seemed very well researched, the problem is probably mainly that the sources are few and far between rather than the author's fault!

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

England’s history is full of daring moves and colorful characters, but it is also very ancient compared to other countries. We often considered the “start” of English history in school as the Norman Conquest in 1066. Nevertheless, this was just a stage in the massive story of the island. We have to consider those who called England their home; those who knew England, not as a unified country, but seven kingdoms known as the heptarchy. The most famous of these seven kingdoms was Wessex, the last kingdom, but their mortal enemy had a rich history of their own. Mercia was a thriving kingdom for hundreds of years, with colorful characters that many people are unfamiliar with. Annie Whitehead has taken the tales of this forgotten kingdom to the forefront with her book, “Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom.”

I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I was looking forward to learning about the Mercians and why their stories are significant in Anglo-Saxon England. My knowledge about this kingdom is minutiae, although I know some famous figures, including
Lady Godiva, Penda, and Aethelflaed, from other books written by Whitehead.

Whitehead begins her journey into this kingdom’s rich history with the story of the 7th-century ruler Penda, the Pagan King of Mercia. His tale of surviving savage battles and making Mercia into a powerhouse set the standard for Mercian kings that would follow. His son and successor, Peada, would bring Christianity to Mercia, and the diocese of Lichfield, which still exists today, would be formed shortly afterward. Mercia was a kingdom that fought for survival against the remaining six realms of the heptarchy, especially against Wessex. Of course, it was not just other Anglo-Saxons that the Mercians were pitted against, as we see the rise of the Vikings with their Great Heathen Army and Welsh princes fight for control of the isle.

Mercia’s kings would fall into obscurity as Mercia turned from a kingdom to an earldom with the uniting of the heptarchy into one nation under one king. We know about Mercia’s history through scant details included in annuls and accounts written by men like Henry of Huntingdon and Bede and chronicles like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Whitehead has combed every source to give her readers the most comprehensive history of a realm that has been forgotten over time. The very nature is academic, yet Whitehead tries to engage those armchair historians who might be familiar with characters like Godiva, Aethelbad, and Offa with tales of murder and intrigue. My advice for future readers of this title is to take notes as there is a plethora of information, especially royal genealogy.

Mercia is a bit out of my comfort zone when it comes to my knowledge of its history, but that just made reading this title even more thrilling. If you want a story of one of the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England, you should check out “Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom” by Annie Whitehead. Whitehead has brought the tales of Mercia to a modern audience in the best way possible.

[Michael Bacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much a history book for hardcore aficionados, wonks and academics. It forgoes a lot of the speculation, narrativising and… well, bullshit that you sometimes find in popular history books. I’m happy to do away with the bullshit because I can’t stand being patronised or pandered to. But I did feel that ultimately, this book felt a tad dry. Still, I enjoyed it, and found the approach refreshingly methodical.

Part of the difficulty in creating any kind of history of Mercia is the paucity of records. This is the dark ages, after all, and things aren’t helped by the probable destruction of whatever records were written in Mercia over the period at the hands of the vikings. Whitehead is very much a historian’s historian: she focuses on building a picture through careful reading of the sources, albeit given they’re few, biased and external, so you really don’t end up with much more than a blur.

Material is organised intelligently, rationally, by theme and argument rather than chronology or narrative. This makes it a bit easier to understand what’s going on (as a non-expert), but honestly I’d have loved the odd subheading, just to clarify the organising principles being followed.

This is very much a history of a kingdom, in a broad, political sense. It’s a bit old-school in that regard. We get quite a bit of who killed who and why, the odd genealogy, vague portraits of movers and shakers. Through this we develop a sense, if skeletal, of what Mercia was to those who had the power to define what Mercia was.

And that’s about all we could hope for. Isn’t it? In the end, I think Whitehead has probably written exactly the right book, but I’m not it’s perfect reader. I didn’t know much about the history of the era before, and making anything more than name soup out of it is hard when so much of the context is lost on you. But for what it is worth, I read it in two days. It might have been a bit beyond me, but there was enough here to keep me going.

[Lothario · Rating 4 out of 5]

There remains a shroud of mystery around Mercia in English history due to the lack recorded history and is largely written from a Northumbrian or Wessex perspective. The book covers all the Mercian kings, it does jump about a bit but Annie did a good job including different sources where possible. This part of English history isn't covered in schools so it was eye-opening to understanding the various tribal identities in the UK such as Celtic, English and Scandinavian how these loyalties changed depending on personal circumstances or where opportunities arose. I found it interesting that the Mercian system of governance of the sub-kingdoms and regions seemed to be more locally driven rather than appointments from the Kings which was the case for Wessex. I didn't know about the Mercian supremacy and how they subdued most of the English kingdoms including East Anglia, Northumbria, Kent and Sussex. It seems that a lack of clear dynasty coupled with a quick succession of mediocre to bad kings and the pressure from viking raids put Mercia into perpetual decline, allowing Wessex to gain power and become the driving force behind English unity

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very difficult read. The main issue with this book is that the contents don’t match the cover. What looks like a light read is actually a deeply academic and at times overwhelmingly detailed look at a period so poorly documented that the author uses deductive powers in every paragraph. I’ve never read a slower history book, albeit one where the author is obviously deeply invested in her topic.

There is little flow, rather chapters take the form of attempting to fill in the gaps (we cannot be sure that X king did Y, but the ASC reports that his Ealdorman Z who was probably the same Z detailed by…”. Additionally, too much time is dedicated to sleuthing over small issues for my taste.

We can't be sure, because at this point the ASC unhelpfully says that it was all 'too tedious to relate. (p. 210)

[Andrew Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully written fascinating book. There are virtually no sources for Mercia so we have to look for information from other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Annie Whitehead has done an excellent job of researching all available sources. The lack of information regarding Mercia does mean that there are a lot of suppositions but the author's logic is sound. Having studied this period at university I wish this work had been available some years ago.

[Linda Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitive history of Mercia

Mercia was the nation of middle England wedged between Wessex, Wales and Northumbria approx 600 to 950 AD, though the lack of early records leaves many gaps. The author assembled almost everything known to make a fascinating read of its history

[Harry Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure that this is a fantastic history book if you are well versed in Anglo-Saxon history but, as someone who is not a big history buff, I found this book to be information overload and I couldn't keep up with who is who. As a result I couldn't finish the book.

[Gordon Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great modern exploration of Mercian history, though definately requires you to have a general understanding of Anglo-Saxon history beforehand. You can tell Whitehead is making the most of limited sources.

[kikbim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exhaustive history of Mercia, even past the point when it ceases to be an independent kingdom. Some of the who's who should be explained better, especially when it comes to ealdormen. The appendix pertaining to the Danes was one of the outstanding parts of this book.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, full review to come!

[Philip Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Well written, and I learned a lot about the period. A much underwritten about Mercia is lifted from the shadows by the author. Highly recommend.

[Anna C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference book, but wow there has to be a better way to present this material. On more than one occasion, I had to go take a nap after reading only a few pages of this book.