As yet there is no biography of Edward the Elder who, had he not been the man he was, might have allowed Alfred's incipient development of "England" to fall apart. I suspect that the main reason why no biogaphy exists is the scant sources. This anthology is as close as one will get if looking for a life of Alfred's son. I bought it with the hope that it would be an adequate substitute for a biography. I was not disappointed.
Another reviewer here lists the titles of the various papers. The first five (Higham-Lyon) comprise 78 pages and are close to biographical form. All focus on Edward's life and reign per se through what the written sources and coinage tell us. Several of the later papers put Edward's reign in the context of larger frameworks like the West Saxon tradition of dynastic marriage, the view from Ireland, and the history and role of royal property in the 9th and early 10th centuries. Many of the later papers are also on specific issues that I found interesting. "Edward the Elder's Danelaw" clarifies (at least as much as can be done) a vague but commonly used term for the section of England under Scandinavian influence. "The Shiring of Mercia - Again" is an explanation of the roots of some of the English counties. The papers on the North-West frontier, on York, and on the northern kings give a nice overview of the information available for these areas at the time of Edward. Much of this is based on the latest archaeological and linguistic evidence. I especially enjoyed two of the later papers. "The Northern Hoards" is about the hoards of coins (each hoard given a name) that date from roughly Edward's time. The author talks about the discovery of the hoards and gives an overview of what each contained. I also enjoyed "Dynastic Monasteries and Family Cults" which is about what the author calls "royal saint-making" in Edward's family lineage and how that relates to the establishment of monasteries. The three female saints disussed at the end of the paper are examples.
While this book is not a biography it does a fine job of laying out for the reader as much as is known about Edward and the context in which he lived. His contributions to the establishment of a larger England were substantial and, given the scarcity of sources, this book does him justice.
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Top reviews from other countries
M J Porter
A collection of paper given at a Conference in 1999 which might not always agree ....
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2017
John Hopper
not a biography; a challenge for the non-academic reader
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2012
