简介：MichaelWoodarguesthatthemostimportantandinfluentialBritishkingswereafather,daughter,andgrandsonwholivedoverathousandyearsagoduringtheageoftheVikings. AlfredofWessex KingAlfredandtheAngloSaxonsEpisode1of3 KingAlfredtheGreatfightsadesperateguerrillawarinthemarshesofSomerset-burningthecakesontheway-beforehisdecisivevictoryatEdington.Creatingtowns,tradeandcoinage,revivinglearningandliteracy,Alfredthenlaidthefoundationsofasinglekingdomof'alltheEnglish'.FilmedonlocationfromReadingtoRome,usingoriginaltextsreadinOldEnglish,andinterviewswithleadingscholars,MichaelWooddescribesamanwhowas'notjustthegreatestBriton,butoneofthegreatestrulersofanytimeorplace'. TheLadyoftheMercians KingAlfredandtheAngloSaxonsEpisode2of3 Inthissecondepisode,Alfred'schildrencontinuethefamilyplantocreateakingdomofalltheEnglish. MichaelWoodrecoversthestoryofAlfred'sdaughterAethelflaed,therulerofMercia,fromacopyofalostchroniclewritteninMerciainherlifetimewhichinthefilmwehearreadinOldEnglish.OneofthegreatforgottenfiguresinBritishhistory,Aethelflaedledarmies,builtfortresses,campaignedagainsttheVikingsandwasabrilliantdiplomat.HerfamespreadacrosstheBritishIsles,belovedbyherwarriorsandherpeople,shewasknownsimplyas'theLadyoftheMercians'.Withouther,concludesMichaelWood,'Englandmightneverhavehappened'. Aethelstan:TheFirstKingofEngland KingAlfredandtheAngloSaxonsEpisode3of3 TravellingfromDevontoCumbria,ScotlandandRome,MichaelWoodtellsthetaleofKingAlfred'sgrandsonAethelstan'swars,hislearningandhislawmaking,showinghowhecreatedanationalcoinageandtracingtheoriginoftheEnglishparliamenttotheking'snewassemblypolitics.Butthere'salsoadarkside,withlaterlegendsthatthekinghadhisbrotherdrownedatsea.Inhislastdesperatestruggle,AethelstandefeatedahugeinvasionofVikingsandScotsinwhatbecameknownastheAnglo-Saxon'GreatWar'. WoodarguesthatAethelstanwasoneofthegreatestEnglishmonarchs,andwithhisgrandfatherAlfred,hisfatherEdwardandhisauntAethelflaed,amemberofourmostremarkableroyalfamilyand'evenmorethantheTudors,themostgiftedandinfluentialrulersinBritishhistory'.…