
The First King of England: Æthelstan (with David Woodman)
From 'tis but a scratch: fact and fiction about the Middle Ages by Richard Abels
January 16, 2026 · 1h 0m · Season 4 · Episode 69
About this episode
This episode discusses the significance of Æthelstan and the historical context surrounding the famous date of 1066 in Anglo-Saxon history.
Send us Fan Mail Ironically, the most famous date in Anglo-Saxon history is that of its demise, 1066, which is why when in 1930 W. C. Sellar, a former schoolmaster, and his classmate at Oxford, the humorist R. J. Yeatman, decided to send up English history as taught in schools with a parody survey, they called it 1066 and All That. In a previous episode Dr. Jenny Paxton and I discussed why 1066 is such a significant date in English history. My very special guest, David Woodman, Professo...
People in this episode
Host: Richard Abels
Guest: David Woodman
Topics covered
- Anglo-Saxon history
- Æthelstan
- 1066
- English history
- historical parody
Keywords
- Æthelstan
- Anglo-Saxon
- 1066
- English history
- historical parody
- David Woodman
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: 1066 and All That
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