The First King: Oswald's United Kingdom

The life journey of King Oswald, the first Overlord Godly King. A must for any early learning historian for the period around AD 640.

Northumbria stretches from the west coast of Scotland, from Aberdeen, in the north to the Humber in the south of England. Oswald was overlord over the Picts and Irish in todays Scotland, and the kings of Lindsey, Kent and Wessex, after the battle of Heavenfield, against Cadwallon of Wales and Penda of Mercia.

The book contains Matthew, Mark, Luke and John carpet pages from the Lindisfarne Gospels, and a painting of Oswald in the twelfth century from Durham Cathedral. There are also photographs of Bamburgh Castle, Holy Island and the Roman Wall today.

The story is written in a style for younger thinking people and is written in an historical fiction form.

Details:

• 36 pages
• Published: 28 May 2008
• Publisher: S J Publishing
• ISBN-10: 0955739608
• ISBN-13: 978-0955739606

About Me & My Book

Steven Jemison
This book first came about after the Anglican Church asked me to do a documentary on Oswald and Heavenfield in 2006. I then spent many months researching books to the point of reading Bede's ecclesiastical history of the English people.

Then a film director friend suggested I should write a book relating to the film. As many script writers in the world would see the documentary they would gain from his insight into Oswald and would open the door for them to write a film script or book and they advised I should do it. I drew all the illustrations myself as well as the photography, basic design and outlay of the book.

Since the achievement of this first book, my ambition is to produce the second and third book of kings to the same standard, knowing that the catch is that fairy tales can be true!

Email me: