☕ Support The Long Shadow channel → This is the epic untold story of Athelstan, the grandson of Alfred the Great, who accomplished what no ruler before him could: uniting the warring Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into a single nation called England. From his scandalous birth to his glorious victory at the Battle of Brunanburh, from his European alliances to his mysterious death—this is the complete biography of history's most forgotten king. Why don't we know his name? Why has the first King of England been erased from memory? Tonight, we resurrect him. 🎧 Perfect for sleep, relaxation, study, or deep listening. Subscribe to The Long Shadow for more epic history documentaries, ancient world biographies, and untold stories from the past. Chapters: 0:00 The Forgotten First King 03:39 The Shattered Island 07:14 Alfred's Dream 11:03 A Questionable Birth 14:24 The Golden Sword 18:04 The Death of Alfred 21:11 The Lady of the Mercians 24:57 A Mercian Education 28:25 The Fall of the Lady 31:43 Edward's Reconquest 35:23 The Death of a King 38:58 The Sixteen Days 42:16 Coronation at Kingston 45:38 The Viking King of York 49:00 A Convenient Death 52:12 Submission at Eamont 55:40 Rex Totius Britanniae 59:21 The Royal Marriage Broker 01:03:02 The Unmarried King 01:06:12 The Collector King 01:10:11 The Lawgiver 01:14:27 Constantine's Resentment 01:17:39 The Scottish Campaign 01:21:09 The Grand Alliance Forms 01:24:46 The Road to Brunanburh 01:28:19 The Battle of Brunanburh 01:32:29 The Poem of Victory 01:36:11 The Aftermath 01:39:31 The Final Years 01:42:31 Death at Gloucester 01:45:40 The Burial at Malmesbury 01:48:57 The Fragile Inheritance 01:52:15 The Forgotten King 01:55:44 The Legacy Endures 01:59:37 A Calm and Peaceful Night #history #biography #thelongshadow