Kings & Queens of Early Britain

From the founding of Britain to the crowning of Alfred the Great, in this updated volume, Geoffrey Ashe investigates legendary British monarchs of old.

From Brutus the Trojan in 1100 BC, and the early famed rulers Bran the Blessed and King Lear to the leaders of Roman Britain, Boudicca, and Alfred.

Drawing on archaeological and documentary evidence, Ashe identifies real and imagined rulers from Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain and Gildas, including King Arthur and other powerful figures in the histories of England, Scotland, and Wales. Kings and Queens of Early Britain is a fascinating study of the origins of Britain that can offer much to our understanding of the country in the present day.

Born in London in 1923, Geoffrey Ashe spent several years in Canada. He graduated from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, before continuing at Cambridge. He has written numerous books, many focused on the Arthurian legend. In 1963 he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and he was awarded an MBE in 2012. He is recognised as a leading cultural historian and author, and lives in Glastonbury, where he is an Honorary Freeman “in recognition of his eminent services to the place”, with his wife Patricia.