The early history of the English people is a mine of wonderful stories which have inspired poets and playwrights through the ages. Some of these stories are about real people and events, some are legends, but all fill the modern reader with wonder at the drama of human life. This book contains twelve epic tales, from the British resistance to Roman occupation to the establishment of what we would now recognise as England. And while most of the the men and women who feature in these tales will be familiar, others such as Emma of Normandy or Bertha of Kent, have been slightly overlooked in history. But their stories are universal in the description of triumph over adversity and the sheer determination of the human spirit.