"A deftly written history that reads as smoothly as a novel." — Midwest Book Review

In life, the eleventh-century Irish king Brian Boru held the Vikings at bay; in death, he remains a towering presence in history and legend. A thousand years have passed since the Battle of Clontarf, a turning point in Irish history in which two centuries of strife between Irish kings and Vikings climaxed in a fateful conflict in the swamps of Dublin. This fascinating survey explores the personalities on both sides and provides a vivid, accessible account of the historic clash.
Morgan Llywelyn, author of the bestselling Lion of Ireland, ranks among the world's most successful and respected historical novelists writing about Ireland and Celtic culture. With this book she departs from fiction to transmit decades of research into a page-turning exploration of a warrior king's life, loves, and battles, bringing the facts to life with a novelist's eye for detail and drama.

"Llywelyn's account is one of the most readable and dramatic on the subject. She brings the complexities of the Irish chieftain and inheritance systems to life and shows us how decisive the famous battle turned out to be." — Irish Voice

Morgan Llywelyn is the author of such critically acclaimed novels as the New York Times bestseller Lion of Ireland, The Last Prince of Ireland, The Horse Goddess, Bard, 1916, and 1921. She is recognized in Ireland and the United States as an expert on both Irish history and folklore.

Author's Note
Foreword The Rt. Hon. Conor O’Brien 
Introduction
Prologue: Morning 
Ireland 
Ireland in the Tenth Century 
Vikings 
The Principals 
A Spark in Dry Tinder
The Northern Conspiracy
Call to Arms
The Dragons Are Coming 
The Week Before
The Battleground 
Battle Morning: Sunrise, 23 April 1014 
Attack! 
The End of the Day
Sunset 
Chapter 15 Afterword 
‘Kincora’ 
Select Bibliography