Christopher Brooke is Dixie Professor Emeritus of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Cambridge and a Life Fellow of Gonville and Caius College. His numerous previous publications include From Alfred to Henry III, 871-1272 (1961), Europe in the Central Middle Ages (Third Edition, 2000), The Twelfth Century Renaissance (1969), The Structure of Medieval Society (1971), The Monastic World 1000-1300 (with Wim Swaan, 1974) and The Medieval Idea of Marriage (1989).

• List of Illustrations. Preface to the Third Edition.Preface to the 1963 Edition (Abbreviated).1. Prologue.2. The Method of this Inquiry.3. On King-Making.4. The Occupations of a King.5. Queens.6. Origins.7. The Small Kingdoms.8. Interlude: 670-871.9. Alfred.10. The Tenth Century.11. Cnut and Edward the Confessor.12. The Conqueror and the Conquest.13. The Conqueror's Sons.14. Stephen.15. Epilogue.Bibliography.Genealogical Tables.Index.

"this classic exploration of the history of English kings and kingship from the sixth to the twelfth centuries..." Bollettino del centro internazionale promozione editoriale "Brooke romps through the exceptionally long period 450-1154, and his treatment is highly intelligent, witty, and jokey ... a most attractive and learned jeu d'esprit." English Histroical Review