'A page-turner full of historical intelligence, wit and heart' DAN JONES Sir Tony Robinson - actor, presenter, historical expert and star of Blackadder and Time Team - makes his adult fiction debut with this earthy, entertaining and gloriously witty recreation of the Anglo-Saxons, Alfred the Great, and the making of England. 'Brings the Anglo-Saxon world riotously to life' S.J PARRIS 'A thrilling tale of ambition, betrayal and power' ALICE LOXTON 'Entirely brilliant, a story and world vividly evoked' KATE WILLIAMS 'Every bit and wise, witty and entertaining as you would expect from one of our greatest storytellers' MARK BILLINGHAM ______ Rome Father Asser is waiting to die. His idealism has landed him in a papal prison on trumped-up charges of heresy, until salvation arrives in an unexpected form. Cardinal Balotelli also dreams of a better world, free from the ravages of the Norlanders. He has a vital job for Asser, one that could shape the future of Europe. Wessex King Aethelwolf's power is fading, but none of his feckless children are fit to rule. His eldest sons would rather fight each other than the blood-thirsty Norland invaders. His daughter, Swift, is clever and cunning, but often blinded by her ambition. Finally there's Alfred, his once-promising younger son, whom nobody has seen in years. Then Wolf meets a young priest with a proposition from Rome that could change everything. Lindisfarne Rhiannon is a slave with a profound hatred for her Saxon captors. When she meets Guthrum, a Norlander hell-bent on wiping Wessex from the map, they set out on a journey of destruction. So begins an epic struggle between greed and idealism, ambition and betrayal, freedom and tyranny. Because change always meets with resistance and, on the path to power, nobody can be trusted.

Everything you need to know about World War II. Tony Robinson takes you on a headlong gallop through time, pointing out all the most important, funny, strange, amazing, entertaining, smelly and disgusting bits about World War II! It’s history, but not as we know it! Find out everything you need to know I this brilliant, action-packed, fact-filled book, including: - just how useful mashed potato is - how the Battle of Britain was won - what it takes to be a spy - how D-Day was kept a surprise

An epic historical joke and fact book from TV legend Sir Tony Robinson, author of the bestselling The Worst Children's Jobs in History and the Weird World of Wonders seriesQ: How did the Vikings send secret messages?A: Norse code!Q:Why were the early days of history called the Dark Ages? A: Because there were so many knights.

In Sir Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders: Pets , Sir Tony Robinson takes you on a headlong gallop through time, pointing out all the most important, funny, strange, amazing, entertaining and smelly bits about pets. It's history, but not as we know it! Find out everything you ever needed to know about pets through time in this brilliant illustrated, action-packed, fact-filled book, including: - The fact that Egyptians worshipped cats and shaved off their eyebrows to mourn them when they died - The brilliant and extremely useful jobs that animals did and still do for us in times of war - A whole array of bizarre animals through time, including medieval squirrels! - Pet fashions and fashionable pets And lots of other facts about the amazing pets that we spend our lives with. What are you waiting for? Let's get going . . . For more funny history facts discover the whole series!