Edgar, King of the English

Edgar, youngest son of King Edmund of Wessex, became ruler of a united England in 959. Although he became known as Edgar "the Peaceable," he ruled his country with an iron fist. His strict government was backed by military forces which deterred invasion by the Vikings. No such invading occurred from the time Eric Bloodaxe left York in 954 until 980, five years after Edgar's death. In this detailed account, Peter Rex follows his reign, during which he introduced the first form of national taxation, married at least twice, and fathered Edward the Martyr and Ethelred II, "the Unready."