MICHAEL WOOD, TV Presenter and Historian
England: New Developments in the Reign of King Athelstan (925-39), the Founder of the Medieval English State
顿补迟别/罢颈尘别:听 25th November 2009, 18:00
There is still a strong opinion among the common people that no one ruled the English state with more learning, or more justly鈥�, so wrote William of Malmesbury of Athelstan in the 1120s. In this illustrated talk Michael Wood looks at recent scholarship, new discoveries, and some intriguing speculations, concerning 鈥榯he greatest figure in British history to lack a biography鈥�. The talk will include reference to Athelstan鈥檚 patronage of St Cuthbert and his restoration of Wearmouth and the role of Bede in the minds of the tenth century empire-builders. It will also offer a fresh look at the greatest unsolved mystery of the period -the location of the tenth century 鈥楪reat War鈥�, the battle of Brunanburh.
Michael Wood is known internationally as the maker of nearly one hundred documentary films on historical subjects, the latest being 鈥楾he Story of India鈥� and this summer鈥檚 鈥楤eowulf鈥�. He is working on a full length study of Athelstan鈥檚 life and times, and his most recent publications in this area are 鈥楽tand Firm against the Monsters鈥� in Lay Intellectuals in Carolingian Europe, edited by Janet Nelson (CUP 2007) and 鈥楢 Carolingian Scholar in the court of King Aethelstan鈥� in England and the Continent in the Tenth Century ed David Rollason (Brepols 2009) He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and an ambassador for the Wearmouth-Jarrow World Heritage application.
