Tag Archives: Athelstan
From my blog...
The Last Kingdom 5.10: Destiny is All
The final episode of this season takes place at Bebbanburg, where the show and the novels have been leading from the beginning. How that return to Bebbanburg plays out in this series bears little resemblance to what happens in the … Read More
The Last Kingdom 5.4: Fade to Black
Anyone who has read Bernard Cornwell’s novels Warriors of the Storm and The Flame Bearer must know by now that the series is straying significantly from the story lines of the books. Nevertheless, the series has embraced Cornwell’s characters, his … Read More
On the Life & Early Death of the Ætheling Athelstan
Athelstan was the eldest son of King Æthelred II of England. One of at least 9 brothers and sisters, Athelstan was born sometime in the mid-to-late 980s—we don’t know the exact year—and he died on 25 June 1014 at about … Read More
Sneak Peek: The Steel Beneath the Silk
Release Date: 2 March 2021 Paperback, E-book, Audiobook A dramatic tale of a queen who lived a thousand years ago, beautifully fictionalised and brilliantly researched, brings Emma’s incredible story out from History’s shadows into the light. –Carol McGrath, author of The … Read More
The Last Kingdom 4, Episode 10
The final episode of this season’s The Last Kingdom is set in Winchester where events cascade breathlessly one after another. Winchester has been under siege for 30 days, and the no man’s land between the Saxon camp and the city … Read More
THE LAST KINGDOM 3, Episode 10
Woe to thee, O land, when they king is a youth…Ecclesiastes 10:16 In Episode 10 of THE LAST KINGDOM Æthelwold’s argument against the naming of the ætheling Edward as the successor to King Alfred is that Edward is too young … Read More
THE LAST KINGDOM 3, Episode 3
Episode 3 begins at Dunholm, where Uhtred has been reunited with Ragnar and Brida. Along with Uhtred’s companions is an old friend from Season 1, who is a wonderful stand-in for Uhtred’s conscience, pricking him about who he is and … Read More
Vikings 5 Recap, Episode 6: THE MESSAGE
The opening scene of this episode made me think of novelist Dorothy Dunnett’s description of the African desert: There are few water holes, and the way hidden by sandstorms. One mistake in the desert and whole caravans can perish. The … Read More
VIKINGS 4 Recap, Episode 15: ALL HIS ANGELS
Spoiler Alert! Reader Beware. As the episode opens, King Ecbert (Linus Roache) has decided to deliver his ‘frenemy’ Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) into the hands of King Aella, who will very happily kill the viking leader. Tormented by guilt at this decision, Ecbert … Read More
VIKINGS 4 Recap, Episode 14: THE UNCERTAIN HOUR BEFORE THE MORNING
The action this week swings between Kattegat and Wessex, and the face-offs between Lagertha/Aslaug and Ragnar/Ecbert that we have all been eagerly anticipating. Kudos to the actors, whose expressions convey a wide range of emotions – doubt, fear, anxiety, understanding, … Read More