"In an engaging and detailed new book, "The Mercian Chronicles," Max Adams explains how the Mercian kings were able to dominate the English Midlands and beyond. "There was in Mercia in fairly recent times a certain vigorous king called Offa, who terrified all the neighbouring kings and provinces around him," said Bishop Asser, a Welsh monk, in the 9th century, describing the peak of the "Mercian Supremacy" when the Midland kingdom dominated England."
"Adams is an archaeologist and historian, previously of the University of Durham. He has written several books on Anglo-Saxon England, including King in the North (2013) - on the Kingdom of Northumbria in the 7th century - and Alfred's Britain (2017) - on the Kingdom of Wessex and the creation of England in the 9th and 10th centuries. With its focus on the 8th century, The Mercian Chronicles bridges the gap between these two works."
Anglo-Saxon England in the 8th century comprised several kingdoms, with Mercia emerging as the dominant power. Mercian supremacy peaked under King Offa, whose influence intimidated neighbouring rulers and consolidated Midland control. Mercia’s rise began under King Penda and was reinforced when his successors adopted Christianity, promoting administrative centralization. Geographic advantages, including navigable rivers and abundant natural resources, enabled trade and wealth accumulation for Mercian elites. Periods of Mercian dominance under rulers such as Aethelbald and Offa contributed to the political processes that helped shape the early Anglo-Saxon state between AD 630 and 918.
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