King hereafter - Dorothy Dunnett

In the 11th century, the young warlords of northern Europe, divided between pagans and followers of the White Christ, grappled endlessly for power. Many of them lost their heads in the process. Among those who didn't was an ungainly boy called Thorfinn who would grow to become one of the great kings of history, under his baptismal name of MACBETH.
In this stunningly realized novel Dorothy Dunnett brings from the shadows a greathearted man, growing in stature to meet his inescapable destiny as ruler of a united Scotland. Brilliantly researched and grippingly told, KING HEREAFTER elevates historical fiction to a high art.