The Marsh King

by C. Walter Hodges

Following the career of King Alfred further and revealing more of his claim to "the Great," Mr. Hodges switches narrators from the secretary, Alfred Dane-Leg (The Namesake, 1964) to a secondary source, the son of Hildis who as a little girl is caught up in the struggle between Christian Saxon and pagan Northman. In the period of a year or so, Alfred releases Guthorm the Dane and his followers, provoking Guthorm's scorn by his magnanimity and words of advice, then rallies his forces to defeat Guthorm's vengeful attack upon Wessex, finally converting him to Christianity and establishing him as king of a buffer state. The import is obvious, vindicating Alfred's assertion that "if we and not Guthorm are to win the end, surely it must not be because our brutalities are stronger than his, but because our purposes are greater." The historical events emerge from a rich tapestry of life in palace and peasant hut (Hildis and her brothers cornered by a wild boar, King Alfred inadvertently burning an old woman's bread) in which each incident has later implications. Characterization is equally rich: Guthorm, his head covered to hide his baldness, "suffering much from toothache." Mr. Hodges' typically robust illustrations close in on conspiratorial moments, stand back to survey a swirling scene. Try this on your Treece readers: it demands a little more, perhaps, repays in full measure of historical insight and individual understanding.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Medieval History, Childrens

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Cyril Walter Hodges was a writer, an illustrator and a Shakespeare scholar.

Reviews

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fictionalised history of the Danish invasion of Wessex, this book definitely leans more towards history than fiction. Hodges often uses a quite detached and sometimes dry omniscient voice to tell his story, without ever sinking you into the perspective of a clear protagonist. However this book as a blend of history and fiction does an incredible job of showing Alfred's true greatness, not so much in the war he waged as in the peace he forged between two warring peoples.

[Jlnpeacock Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although primarily written for a young reading audience, this was a good biography of Alfred the Great. Hodges is writing historical fiction, but specializes more in historical than fiction. The details of the battles and characters involved were well researched and provided an excellent picture of the man. Hodges' writing style will not appeal to many readers of today because it is not a dashing tale that he is conveying. He is careful with providing the facts and does little to embellish. I had been reading about Alfred the Great in other books and wanted a biography when I found this one on my son's bookshelf. I am glad I had the opportunity to read of the truly great man and king and to learn more of his dedication to the Christian faith.

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But it was just so hard to get into... and so dry.

I honestly didn't care about anyone in this book. And on top of that I couldn't keep track of all the names that were so very much the same and yet off by one or two letters.

I would say that this is more of a historical recounting then a Historical fiction.

[Snuggery Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

my review, first posted on instagram, 2 April 2023:

oh my Gosh!!!!
The *best* book!!!!
book review: The Marsh King, Walter Hodges
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
As I have shared in previous posts, I wasn't crazy about The Namesake, which came first. But, I knew that I liked Hodges, anyway, and I have been learning to push myself a little, when it comes to pursuing a subject, and, particularly, a series about a subject. So, I threw down and went straight to The Marsh King, following my planned one-book-light-read break.
So grateful I did!!
Despite requiring some discipline to push my way through (frequently), and despite my shock at learning more about Alfred (smallish in stature, suffered from a chronic illness that reminded me of my migraines, and altogether too loving, forgiving, and Christ-like😅), and, frankly, bristling at his out-of-the-box kindness, as his inner circle did at first a well... Alfred the Great ended up teaching me something❤️😭 Hodges reached back in time, took Alfred's story, his lesson, and gave it to us. And, my life is changed❤️😭🙌 No exaggeration.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so enjoyed this book. Recommended by The Historical Association to support KS2 teaching of the uniting of England under King Alfred, I certainly have much more of a feel for the era and its events than I had before. Quite a challenging text for children, as it was written in the 1960s, but could certainly be brought alive for them (and no more challenging than something like 'The Eagle of the Ninth' which seems to manage to stay in print). Plenty of vocabulary and detail about clothing, food, transport etc that is really helpful. A little dated in its presentation of the Christians and the heathen, but could be a helpful discussion-starter.

[Doug Peterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of historical fiction as well as of fiction from earlier times. This 1967 book retains some of the simplicity of earlier decades. It's based quite firmly on the historical sources available to the author, and is a good quick read.

[Myra Leysorek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice children's book of and exciting episode in English history.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this little piece of historical fiction that ties back to a timeframe I read with the boys during Year 1 of AO. 😊

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best historical fiction books for children (or adults) that I've ever read. It really captures the culture of the time period and gives a great outline of the events surrounding one of the most important battles in English history (in fact what one might call the foundational battle of English history).

Light years ahead of anything that G.A. Henty ever wrote.

[Harlan Paulson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel about Alfred the Great. As good as The Name Sake, of which it is the sequel. Again will keep the book for my grandchildren.