Tucked into a corner of the north aisle of Malmesbury Abbey is the tomb of the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelstan. The paradoxical quality of Æthelstan’s tomb captures the challenges confronting his would-be biographers. On 12 July 927 the rulers of Britain’s remaining kingdoms recognised his overlordship, effectively making him the first king of a united England. Woodman’s accomplishment lies in his ability to situate these crumbs within a broader context to produce a persuasive account of the ruler with the greatest claim to be the first true king of England. The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a KingdomDavid WoodmanPrinceton University Press, 344pp, £30Buy from bookshop.org (affiliate link)Andrew Rabin is Professor of English at the University of Louisville.