Ryan Lavelle Border Land review and information history book about the frontiers of Early England. Yale University Press will publish the book by Ryan Lavelle, historian and professor of early medieval history at the University of Winchester on November 10, 2026. On this page you can read information about the content of the book, the author and the publication.
Ryan Lavelle Border Land reviews and information
Whenever a review of Border Land, Frontiers of Early England, written by Ryan Lavalle, historian and professor of early medieval history, appears in the media, we’ll highlight it on this page.
- “Fascinating and strikingly original… Lavelle uncovers the hidden history of the ways our ancestors organised and defined themselves, and sought consensus with their neighbours. This is a story from which we still have much to learn.” (Michael Wood, author of In Search of the Dark Ages)
- “In this exciting new volume, Lavelle shows not only how the early English shaped their frontiers, but also how they were shaped by them. It is a timely story, a retelling of the creation of England (and Englishness) from the perspective of its limitations.” (Levi Roach, author of Empire of the Normans)
Border Land
Frontiers of Early England
- Author: Ryan Lavelle (England)
- Book type: English medieval history
- Publisher: Yale University Press
- To be released: November 10, 2026
- Length: 388 pages
- Format: hardback / ebook
- Prize: $ 40.00
- Ordering Options >
Blurb of the book by Ryan Lavalle about the frontiers of early England
An innovative and thought-provoking exploration of the edges of England from their earliest days to the Norman Conquest.
The earliest written record of a political boundary in England dates from around 880, when King Alfred and Danish warlord Guthrum formalised a legal treaty to divide lands between them. How did Alfred and his descendants think about the borders of “English” territory? And what can these markers tell us about the English kingdom itself?
Ryan Lavelle takes readers on a journey around the borders and edges of early medieval England. From an oak tree used as a marker by St Augustine, through Alfred’s famous treaty, to 1066 and beyond, Lavelle explores how land was divided and the ways in which boundaries were perceived. He argues that there was no one unified “England” until after the Norman Conquest—and in fact the lands were divided several times between the death of Æthelstan and the invasion of William the Conqueror. This is a fascinating account that reshapes our thinking about the origins of the “lands of the English.”
Ryan Lavelle is professor of early medieval history at the University of Winchester. He is the author of numerous books, including Aethelred II, Alfred’s Wars, and Cnut: The North Sea King. He was also historical advisor for the television drama series The Last Kingdom.