2An imaginative reassessment of thelred "the Unready," one of medieval England's most maligned kings and a major Anglo-Saxon figure

The Anglo-Saxon king thelred "the Unready" (978-1016) has long been considered to be inscrutable, irrational, and poorly advised. Infamous for his domestic and international failures, thelred was unable to fend off successive Viking raids, leading to the notorious St. Brice's Day Massacre in 1002, during which Danes in England were slaughtered on his orders. Though thelred's posthumous standing is dominated by his unsuccessful military leadership, his seemingly blind trust in disloyal associates, and his harsh treatment of political opponents, Roach suggests that thelred has been wrongly maligned. Drawing on extensive research, Roach argues that thelred was driven by pious concerns about sin, society, and the anticipated apocalypse. His strategies, in this light, were to honor God and find redemption. Chronologically charting thelred's life, Roach presents a more accessible character than previously available, illuminating his place in England and Europe at the turn of the first millennium.