Michael John Key completed his History higher class honours degree following early retirement to pursue his lifelong interest in British history. He has previous published Edward the Elder: King of the Anglo-Saxons (2019), House of Godwin: The Rise and Fall of an Anglo-Saxon Dynasty (2022) and The Kings of Wessex: From Cerdic to Alfred (2025). He was born in Lancashire, spent much of his life in Hampshire, and now lives in Wiltshire within sight of Old Sarum Hillfort.

'This really is a fantastic guide to the period, covering the Germanic migrations, the origins of the West Saxons and the Gewisse, and providing chapters on all of the West Saxon kings from Cerdic through to Alfred the Great. As I said in my own recent book, the early history of the kingdom of the West Saxons is difficult sometimes to fathom, and Key has done an excellent job of rounding up all the available sources, analysing them, and presenting a lively and very readable account.'

Michael John Key completed his History higher class honours degree following early retirement to pursue his lifelong interest in British history. He has previous published Edward the Elder: King of the Anglo-Saxons (2019), House of Godwin: The Rise and Fall of an Anglo-Saxon Dynasty (2022) and The Kings of Wessex: From Cerdic to Alfred (2025). He was born in Lancashire, spent much of his life in Hampshire, and now lives in Wiltshire within sight of Old Sarum Hillfort.

'This really is a fantastic guide to the period, covering the Germanic migrations, the origins of the West Saxons and the Gewisse, and providing chapters on all of the West Saxon kings from Cerdic through to Alfred the Great. As I said in my own recent book, the early history of the kingdom of the West Saxons is difficult sometimes to fathom, and Key has done an excellent job of rounding up all the available sources, analysing them, and presenting a lively and very readable account.'

Michael John Key completed his History higher class honours degree following early retirement to pursue his lifelong interest in British history. He has previous published Edward the Elder: King of the Anglo-Saxons (2019), House of Godwin: The Rise and Fall of an Anglo-Saxon Dynasty (2022) and The Kings of Wessex: From Cerdic to Alfred (2025). He was born in Lancashire, spent much of his life in Hampshire, and now lives in Wiltshire within sight of Old Sarum Hillfort.

'This really is a fantastic guide to the period, covering the Germanic migrations, the origins of the West Saxons and the Gewisse, and providing chapters on all of the West Saxon kings from Cerdic through to Alfred the Great. As I said in my own recent book, the early history of the kingdom of the West Saxons is difficult sometimes to fathom, and Key has done an excellent job of rounding up all the available sources, analysing them, and presenting a lively and very readable account.'