Alfred the Great

by David Horspool

The discovery earlier this year in Winchester of human remains, almost certainly of Alfred the Great or his eldest son, has sparked renewed interest in England's most celebrated monarch. King Alfred's historical achievements, saving his kingdom from invasion by marauding Vikings and attempting both to expand and educate his realm, made him the founding mythic figure of England. The only English sovereign ever to be called 'the Great' - despite the fact that he was never even king of all England - Alfred used to be remembered as much through the stories told about him as his recorded accomplishments. This book offers a vivid picture of Alfred and his England, a place snatched from extinction at the hands of Viking invaders, but also of the way that history is written, and how much myth has to do with that. The book brings this story right up to date with the tale of the strange journey of Alfred's mortal remains, and their final discovery in his capital of Winchester.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical, British Literature, Medieval, Medieval History

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2014

About the author

David Horspool is a British historian and journalist. A graduate of Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he writes for the Times Literary Supplement, the Sunday Times, The Guardian, Telegraph, and the New York Times.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. I found this easy to follow. It didn't refer to later chapters being part of the real argument as a be continued.
I liked all of this book and remember where I was when I heard about Richard III remains but not Alfred the Great's.
My least favourite part was the last section which showed Alfred the Great's influence in the 19thc. 18th c history and myth making.
I was lucky to find this book and will be raiding the book stores for more history of this period.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a way this is less a study of the life of Alfred the Great than it is a study of his afterlife. That is, while it deals with some of the interesting episodes of Alfred's life, this book is less a biography and more of an exploration of how his reputation has continued to change and evolve in the years since his first biography was written during his lifetime up until recent times. Alfred has been posthumously credited with uniting England, creating the British Navy and inspiring the founding fathers of the United States among other things. This makes for interesting reading, but it's not quite what the title suggests as a biography of Alfred, which is the main reason I am holding back a star on this rating. It's still worth a read, but if you're looking for a conventional and detailed biography, you should probably look elsewhere.

[Crowley · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who has never heard of Alfred before reading this book, I found it to be quite frustrating. I picked it up expecting a biography, and instead got an analysis of a bunch of legends surrounding the figure, out of sequence and the legend itself not very well outlined. This book is written for those who are already quite familiar with the subject, and is more of an academic essay then a book.

A huge part of the novel was devoted to debunking a story of the king getting distracted and allowing the bread to burn which I couldn’t care less about

[Seneka Najmłodszy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I find this book well-written and quite interesting, I was a little disappointed by it. The reason is that I was simply expecting a biography of the king based on strict historical facts. On the contrary, Harspool's "Alfred the Great" is not a biography per se, but rather a comparison of the cultural legends about him to the few pieces of information we have from primary sources. So, if somebody wants to learn where the whole mythology of Alfred came from, it is a great book to read, but it just wasn't for me.

[Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for an accurate life of Alfred to better understand the period. I did not get this; instead I was exposed to Alfred's philosophy and understanding of why he did what he did and what influenced those decisions. My fault, I should have checked more into the book before I purchased it. The work is scholarly, but if you are looking to seek a chronological account of the Life of Alfred this is not it.

[Thomas James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book, addresses all the myths surrounding Alfred and whether we can accept them as truth or fable. Regardless of if they are true, one thing stands, Alfred was a great King. Horspool writes well and the book is easy to follow. Would recommend to anyone who wants to gain a foothold in Alfredian history.

[Katie_la_geek · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am very interesting in Alfred the Great and the Anglo Saxon ages of Britain but I wasn't a fan of the way this book was put together and I found it difficult to get into.

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of a literature review than a historical work featuring on Alfred the Great. Only 225 pages, but feels padded.

[Thomas Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very short overview of the life of King Alfred was a joy to read from start to finish. Despite being mainly told chronologically it was nice to see that many chapters took a thematic approach to Alfred, my favourite chapter being Alfred and Education. Praise must be given to the huge attention given to the contemporary sources, primarily the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and accounts by Asser. However it would have been nice to see some more sources from those outside of Wessex. The extra chapter on the King's remains was good to see, however, it was rather short and felt a little bit tacked on to the end when it didn't necessarily need to be there. Finally, the attention given to the legacy of Alfred the Great was fantastic throughout the entire book; so many books fall short on this as the legacy, myth and mystery historical figures (particularly in this period) is arguably as important as the figures themselves.

[Casey Ogden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant insight into how both the legend and the man have been perceived and changed over the years. Both legend and fact have been blurred and this books helps differentiate the man from the legend, take the burnt cakes story for example. A story the author keeps going back to to compare. I also gained more availing and Dane knowledge through the book, how they they played their part in sculpting our England as it is today. Several aspects which wouldn't have been associated faith Alfred and his dynasty are brought to light and explain other themes. Overall a cracking read for anyone interested in Alfred the Great, whether he actually deserved ether title and if so how he achieved it. In my view he does deserve it and more acknowledgement than he has so far been given.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not exceptional biography of Alfred the Great. It is highly readable, seems well researched and thought out. There is an investigation into the facts versus myths that surround him, but as there is very little written evidence to research the book with, it still comes across as guesswork some of the time. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read.

[Annette O'grady · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was interesting but not what i thought it was

[Crt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t find it compelling reading, mainly about the various sources rather than drawing a thread. I didn’t finish it

[Ratratrat · Rating 2 out of 5]

non conoscendo bene la storia di Alfredo il grande, questo libro non mi è stato di grande aiuto: è un libro per chi la sa già e commenta soprattutto i miti,i biografi... a volte non è nemmeno lineare col tempo , parla di un personaggio in un momento, poi il medesimo , ma prima... mi ci perdo. Tirerò in fondo, ma alla fin fine poco avrò imparato su di lui se non episodi aneddotici

[John Wade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learnt a lot but via rather a tortuous route. Interesting section on the conflation of Alfred and Arthur in many minds. I watched series 1 of The Last of England and I'd recommend that more highly to be honest.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thematic rather than narrative approach to Alfred but interesting, especially on his legacy and appropriation by historical phases.