This biography of an overlooked but important Anglo-Saxon ruler sheds light on the Dark Ages of England.

In the eighth century, Offa ruled Mercia, one of the strongest Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. For over thirty years he was the dominant warlord in the territory south of the Humber River and the driving force behind the expansion of Mercia's power. During that turbulent period, Offa commanded Mercian armies in their struggle against the neighboring kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex and against the Welsh tribes.

The story of Offa's long reign and of the rise and fall of Mercia are central to England's early development, yet they are little known and seldom studied. In this enlightening biography, Chris Peers brings Offa and the other Mercian kings into focus, setting them in the context of English history before the coming of the Danes.