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In Search of Alfred the Great: The King, the Grave, the Legend
Buried in 899 AD as the King of the English at his capital city of Winchester, Alfred the Great's bones were thought to have ultimately moved to an unmarked grave. His remains had been completely lost to us for centuries until researchers at the University of Winchester discovered what is in all probability a piece of his pelvis in a cardboard box. This exciting discovery has reawakened interest in one of our most notable monarchs. The only English monarch ever to have had the epithet 'the Great', Alfred's reputation reaches down to us through the years. Christian hero, successful defender of England against the Vikings, social and educational reformer. There is a man and a life buried amid the myths. Within these pages, discover Alfred's dramatic story.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2014
4 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Edoardo Albert
54 books155 followersEdoardo Albert is a writer of Sri Lankan and Italian extraction based in London. He writes about history and archaeology, particularly of the early Medieval period, as well as writing historical and speculative fiction.
Find out more about him and his work at www.edoardoalbert.com. Follow him on Twitter @EdoardoAlbert or like him on Facebook.
Find out more about him and his work at www.edoardoalbert.com. Follow him on Twitter @EdoardoAlbert or like him on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 13, 2014
Source: Free pdf copy from Amberley Publishing in exchange for a review. I bought an ebook Kindle copy. The Kindle copy is what I read and reviewed.
Summary:
Alfred the Great had not thought he'd become king. He was the youngest of four brothers. He was born in AD 849. He became king of the Wessex kingdom in AD 871. Wessex was a kingdom in southwest England. During the early part of the Anglo-Saxon period, England was not a united country. The land was divided into sections, each with a ruling monarch. There were seven main kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex. "The Great Heathen Army"-Vikings arrived AD 793. During Alfred's reign he was successful in battle against the Vikings; however, he believed the Vikings were God's punishment upon them for their lack of learning. Alfred sought literacy and education in England. He was a pioneer in leaving his own words on paper as a testimony of his life.
My Thoughts:
The Anglo-Saxon period is my favorite era in British history. I've been anxious to read a non-fiction book on King Alfred. At 202 pages, In Search of Alfred The Great has been a wonderful starting point in a study of Alfred.
Usually when writing a review I express likes and dislikes. In Search of Alfred the Great is my last non-fiction book to review in 2014, and I plan to do something a little different. The following bullet points will explain what I learned and found interesting.
The story of wicked Eadburh.
The Vikings-their plan and how they carried it out.
The story of Judith of Flanders.
Alfred's physical infirmity.
The history of the Britons who were pushed westward into Wales.
The story of Guthrum, king of the Danish Vikings.
The plan to bring literacy to England.
The fortresses Alfred had built.
Alfred's naval actions.
The finding of Alfred's bones.
Summary:
Alfred the Great had not thought he'd become king. He was the youngest of four brothers. He was born in AD 849. He became king of the Wessex kingdom in AD 871. Wessex was a kingdom in southwest England. During the early part of the Anglo-Saxon period, England was not a united country. The land was divided into sections, each with a ruling monarch. There were seven main kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex. "The Great Heathen Army"-Vikings arrived AD 793. During Alfred's reign he was successful in battle against the Vikings; however, he believed the Vikings were God's punishment upon them for their lack of learning. Alfred sought literacy and education in England. He was a pioneer in leaving his own words on paper as a testimony of his life.
My Thoughts:
The Anglo-Saxon period is my favorite era in British history. I've been anxious to read a non-fiction book on King Alfred. At 202 pages, In Search of Alfred The Great has been a wonderful starting point in a study of Alfred.
Usually when writing a review I express likes and dislikes. In Search of Alfred the Great is my last non-fiction book to review in 2014, and I plan to do something a little different. The following bullet points will explain what I learned and found interesting.
The story of wicked Eadburh.
The Vikings-their plan and how they carried it out.
The story of Judith of Flanders.
Alfred's physical infirmity.
The history of the Britons who were pushed westward into Wales.
The story of Guthrum, king of the Danish Vikings.
The plan to bring literacy to England.
The fortresses Alfred had built.
Alfred's naval actions.
The finding of Alfred's bones.
February 28, 2021
Gave a good overview of a period of English history I've always been interested in but never knew much about. Unfortunately Edoardo Albert alternates between simple, straightforward language and the St Paul school of writing. One section is easy to follow and make sense of and the next minute one sentence takes a whole paragraph and is so convoluted that it needs to be read twice to understand.
Don't get me wrong, Alfred is certainly an inspirational man and set in motion events that changed the course of English history. But for someone who calls out Alfred's official chronicler for being biased (what King would have it any other way?), Edoardo spends a lot of energy coming up with different adjectives for how Alfred was Great, wonderful, marvellous, pious, a genius, strong, intelligent, brilliant.... you get the picture..
Overall, I'm glad I read it and if nothing else it has inspired me to read more about this period of history.
Don't get me wrong, Alfred is certainly an inspirational man and set in motion events that changed the course of English history. But for someone who calls out Alfred's official chronicler for being biased (what King would have it any other way?), Edoardo spends a lot of energy coming up with different adjectives for how Alfred was Great, wonderful, marvellous, pious, a genius, strong, intelligent, brilliant.... you get the picture..
Overall, I'm glad I read it and if nothing else it has inspired me to read more about this period of history.
December 20, 2018
A readable enough account of the career of Alfred, with a couple of rather pointless chapters on attempts to locate his remains.
July 19, 2018
I've always held a fascination for Anglo-Saxon history and Alfred the Great in particular. The ninth century conjures up Tolkien like images where Sauron's orks are Vikings.
A few years back I read Justin Pollard's 2005 biography of Alfred and one of my favourite books is Michael Wood's 'In Search of the Dark Ages'. When I saw this book on the library shelf I first thought this was another publication in Wood's 'In Search of' series. Looking closer I noticed the front cover text stating, 'Includes chapters by Dr Katie Tucker on her amazing discovery of Alfred's remains.' So this book promised further information on the excavations at Hyde Abbey, Winchester that were covered in a tv programme on the subject with presenter Neil Oliver. So I was hooked.
'In Search of Alfred the Great' (2014) is a thorough biography by Edoardo Albert on the life and times of this King of Wessex, ideal for the layman. Two short chapters conclude the book by Winchester University osteologist and archaeologist Dr Katie Tucker that documents the tangled history of Alfred's remains over the past eleven hundred years culminating in the discovery of a piece of pelvis bone of correct carbon dating that could belong to Alfred or his son Edward the Elder.
Not quite the 'amazing discovery of Alfred's remains' proclaimed on the front cover. Further digs were made at Hyde Abbey in 2016 and more are hoped for in the future, but perhaps that is another book in the future.
A few years back I read Justin Pollard's 2005 biography of Alfred and one of my favourite books is Michael Wood's 'In Search of the Dark Ages'. When I saw this book on the library shelf I first thought this was another publication in Wood's 'In Search of' series. Looking closer I noticed the front cover text stating, 'Includes chapters by Dr Katie Tucker on her amazing discovery of Alfred's remains.' So this book promised further information on the excavations at Hyde Abbey, Winchester that were covered in a tv programme on the subject with presenter Neil Oliver. So I was hooked.
'In Search of Alfred the Great' (2014) is a thorough biography by Edoardo Albert on the life and times of this King of Wessex, ideal for the layman. Two short chapters conclude the book by Winchester University osteologist and archaeologist Dr Katie Tucker that documents the tangled history of Alfred's remains over the past eleven hundred years culminating in the discovery of a piece of pelvis bone of correct carbon dating that could belong to Alfred or his son Edward the Elder.
Not quite the 'amazing discovery of Alfred's remains' proclaimed on the front cover. Further digs were made at Hyde Abbey in 2016 and more are hoped for in the future, but perhaps that is another book in the future.
May 6, 2024
A mixed bag. Very interesting read in parts, particularly the various battles with Vikings. The chapter regarding translation of religious texts and the two chapters about finding his bones were a little hard going though.
A reference to David Brent in a historical work sticks out a little uncomfortably too.
A reference to David Brent in a historical work sticks out a little uncomfortably too.
October 30, 2016
Mr Albert's synopsis of Alfred's extraordinary life begins at its most dramatic point, when our hero has been ousted from power and compelled to hide in wintry woods with a mere straggle of followers. We soon come across one of Mr Albert's strengths as a writer, which is to convey a sense of place, often with helpful pointers to local topography. His evocation of Athelney is memorable: "Alfred celebrated Easter on Athelney, in the marshes. Few places show the new life of spring more vividly than marshland, as the dead brown rushes of the previous year's growth are pierced with the vivid green of fresh shoots... "
On reaching the climactic moment of Alfred and his (roughly) four thousand preparing to fight the Battle of Edington, the author keeps the reader in suspense and returns to the beginnings of Alfred's story. We are in good hands and at every stage the narrative is illuminated by a thorough knowledge of the period and a keen historical insight. Mr Albert skilfully draws out the greater achievement of Alfred in that this King had to work with the powerful figures of the land more through persuasion than fear. It is perhaps easy to get a lot done if you happen to be Joseph Stalin, but in Alfred's case his personal qualities had to count for much.
The depiction of the Battle of Edington, when it finally comes, is especially well-drawn, as illustrated by the following percipient sentences (pages 118-119): "As they marched towards the waiting line of Vikings, many a man must have bolstered his courage with beer, or left the column to vomit his fear away... Boasts, insults and threats rang out as the lines closed and it became clear, to each man in the converging shield walls, whom he would face in the enemy line."
Mr Albert also has the knack of looking with plausibility and discernment into Alfred's imaginative life, including when it is informed by Christian faith - on Page 12, for example, we find, "Alfred decided he would follow the path of David: he would become a wraith in the wilderness, a witness of faithfulness to his people and of defiance to his enemies." The book shows an astute understanding of the individual grain of Alfred's personality: "Once Alfred became King, his rule was characterised by the way he sought solutions for the problems he faced, analysing the situations in depth and then bringing all his power to bear on the solution." (Page 81.)
The book is not without its faults. For my taste it leaps to and fro in time rather too much - with me, clearly, being a less seasoned time traveller than Mr Albert! Occasionally the style of writing is inconsistent, ranging from the rather grandiose, "Now, too, they waited... waiting for the storm to pass and the day to bring long sight," (Page 10) to the much more informal, "Back to the siege." (Page 65.)
The account of Alfred's life is followed by a brief outline of how his reputation has fared through subsequent ages. Two concluding chapters, written by Dr Katie Tucker, give us another history: that of Alfred's bones. The evidence is well presented.
And so ends an exciting and perceptive run through the life of this country's greatest ruler, out of whose victories and accomplishments the strength, unity and virtues of our present nation have gradually emerged.
On reaching the climactic moment of Alfred and his (roughly) four thousand preparing to fight the Battle of Edington, the author keeps the reader in suspense and returns to the beginnings of Alfred's story. We are in good hands and at every stage the narrative is illuminated by a thorough knowledge of the period and a keen historical insight. Mr Albert skilfully draws out the greater achievement of Alfred in that this King had to work with the powerful figures of the land more through persuasion than fear. It is perhaps easy to get a lot done if you happen to be Joseph Stalin, but in Alfred's case his personal qualities had to count for much.
The depiction of the Battle of Edington, when it finally comes, is especially well-drawn, as illustrated by the following percipient sentences (pages 118-119): "As they marched towards the waiting line of Vikings, many a man must have bolstered his courage with beer, or left the column to vomit his fear away... Boasts, insults and threats rang out as the lines closed and it became clear, to each man in the converging shield walls, whom he would face in the enemy line."
Mr Albert also has the knack of looking with plausibility and discernment into Alfred's imaginative life, including when it is informed by Christian faith - on Page 12, for example, we find, "Alfred decided he would follow the path of David: he would become a wraith in the wilderness, a witness of faithfulness to his people and of defiance to his enemies." The book shows an astute understanding of the individual grain of Alfred's personality: "Once Alfred became King, his rule was characterised by the way he sought solutions for the problems he faced, analysing the situations in depth and then bringing all his power to bear on the solution." (Page 81.)
The book is not without its faults. For my taste it leaps to and fro in time rather too much - with me, clearly, being a less seasoned time traveller than Mr Albert! Occasionally the style of writing is inconsistent, ranging from the rather grandiose, "Now, too, they waited... waiting for the storm to pass and the day to bring long sight," (Page 10) to the much more informal, "Back to the siege." (Page 65.)
The account of Alfred's life is followed by a brief outline of how his reputation has fared through subsequent ages. Two concluding chapters, written by Dr Katie Tucker, give us another history: that of Alfred's bones. The evidence is well presented.
And so ends an exciting and perceptive run through the life of this country's greatest ruler, out of whose victories and accomplishments the strength, unity and virtues of our present nation have gradually emerged.
January 5, 2015
This is an exciting read. From the first sentence, 'The king was a king no more', I was gripped. The book begins with Alfred fleeing from the new viking Lord, Guthrum. The writing is immediate and as a reader you are hurtled into Alfred's world. One comes to understand exactly why for generations Alfred was revered and why his title of 'Great' was so richly deserved.
The chapters by the archeologist, Katie Tucker provide an interesting summation of what happened to Alfred's bones and we are left tantalisingly unsure whether any of Alfred's remains have actually been found, yet with the hope of further excavations in 2015.
This is a definitely a book to re-read, so worth a place on my bookshelf!
The chapters by the archeologist, Katie Tucker provide an interesting summation of what happened to Alfred's bones and we are left tantalisingly unsure whether any of Alfred's remains have actually been found, yet with the hope of further excavations in 2015.
This is a definitely a book to re-read, so worth a place on my bookshelf!
February 11, 2016
Very interesting read and apart from some place names easy to understand. Very fortunate as a female to live in today's time rather than the 9th century.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews