Alfred: Warrior King

by John Peddie

This penetrating analysis of Alfred's military career examines the key events which led to the foundation of the English nation.

Genres: History, Biography Memoir, Medieval, Biography, Nonfiction, Anglo Saxon

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[E Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good review of the history of the man who created England

[Peter Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been written by an enthusiast rather than a historian and comes with many issues. When a writer is primarily interested in one facet, their lack of general knowledge of the bigger picture can restrict their ability to reach fully considered conclusions. Outside of Peddie's area of enthusiasm (military campaigns), there are errors, assumptions and simplifications. He has Nottingham as the capital of Mercia, Wilton as the capital of Wiltshire, Woden as a predecessor of the Bernician and Deiran kings, but oddly doesn't mention his part in the king-list of Wessex, sees the fyrd as unskilled peasants and has Alfred appointed by the Witan. He cites the Geþyncðu, but at this stage it is a bit early to consider. Peddie also sees Alfred as having abandoned East Kent due to the lack of burghal burhs and the general lack of evidence from that part of the world during this period of his rule. However, it is unlikely that Alfred would abandon Canterbury and other bits of prime real estate and this is a question probably seen as a problem with sources, rather than a physical abandonment.

On the other side of the coin, where Peddie is enthusiastic and well informed, the world of military campaigning, he sees the situation of the late 9th century through the eyes of a 20th Century solider. He doesn't have a feel for the period. He talks of rear echelons, reserves, quislings, collaborators and guerilla resistance. His comparison of the burghal forts to villages in Malaya surrounded by barbed wire during the uprising there isn't the most apt, focussing on just the deprivation of food to the enemy and not upon their larger role. When it comes to the intentions of the Vikings, Peddie goes well beyond what the sources say and offers opinions based upon his 20th century military logic without supporting it with convincing evidence. In particular, he gives the disparate Viking groups operating around the British Isles a unity of purpose and political cohesion that they didn't really have. He sees attacks launched on the other side of the country as carefully pre-planned diversionary strikes. Whilst Peddie doesn't quite paint a picture of Alfred and Guthrum pushing counters about on giant maps, I got the feeling that he would have felt quite at home with that.

This book isn't designed to be exhaustive or to cover much beyond Alfred as the warrior king, but even within its own limitations, I found it to be disappointing. I make notes whenever a book makes an interesting point and during the course of reading this I didn't feel the need to make any. If you're looking for a book on King Alfred, buy Richard Abels.

[Ray Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories Series which is what the TV show The Last Kingdom is based on. I know Cornwell mixes fiction with history and that some of the characters and events were real or based on reality. So, I took a break and read some real history. It turns out Cornwell is closer to reality than I thought.

In Alfred: Warrior King, John Peddie tells the story that can be put together from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and other contemporary sources, none of which are highly detailed. One gets a solid impression of the character of Alfred as well as the frequency and scale of the fighting. In many of the recorded details of who, when, and on what kind of ground they fought, Cornwell is accurate. As far as Alfred goes, Peddie shows that recorded accounts give Alfred the credit for leading the armies on the battlefield more frequently than is likely. Nevertheless, lots of insights that enhance my appreciation for Cornwell's work.

As far as the quality of Peddie's book is concerned, he is a fine historian and writes well. The lack of detail in the written record leaves Peddie unable to relate the kind of side stories and background that make many modern histories fascinating. He also gets into speculation over where many locations sited in the sources are since names and geography have changed. This part of the book drags on since he gets down to farmers squabbling over rocks. I honestly don't care if St. Egbert's stone round or oblong, located at the bottom or top of the hill... All in all, an easy read that did what I wanted it to do, it gave me insight into the reality of the 9th century and the reign of Alfred.

[Billy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF…
Overly and unnecessarily pedantic in presenting large concepts, while details are often speculative, filled with misinformation or mistakes, and then there are improbable assumptions. Here's my complaint, my issue: This is not an uncommon historical subject; Alfred the Great, the only English king to be called' Great,' is called that because of what we know he did; his story doesn't need embellishment. The author must have done some research, but this is not a good read as a history study.
I hate to walk away from any book, and I very rarely stop after I've started, after investing time in the reading, but I can't take it anymore.
Perhaps… maybe… I’ll revisit this… It's on my bookshelf, so, eh, we'll see… Not likely...

[Astor Teller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even if I found this book too bogged down in details and conjectures, I liked the main overview of how Alfred the Great’s with his Anglo-Saxon forces managed to stem the tide of the Viking incursions into England.

John Peddie takes a closer look at the strategy and the logistics, such as why the Isle of Thanet was occupied by the Vikings (The Wantsum Channel which lies between the island and the mainland was an important and sheltered trade route) and how the untimely death (or timely if you had been Alfred) of Ragngar Lothbrok’s sons abroad changed the war in England.

John Peddie also portrays the Vikings in a new light, not as mindless savage raiders, but well prepared with military intelligence and the lay of the land before conducting their fast forays with ships and horses (so as to minimise casualties and maximise plunder), and how Alfred’s change of tactics by building the burh strongholds made it harder for the Vikings to foray in this way.

Alfred also kept international connections to keep track of the Vikings armies and also paid Vikings off to leave his land in peace (the infamous Danegeld payments gave Alfred respite to rebuild his military into a better shape).

I also like to follow the lesser players, such as the Viking Guthrum who ended up baptised and made King of East Anglia/The Danelaw in accordance with Alfred, Haesten who lived his whole life as a Viking raider, and also how the Welsh and Cornish people sometimes banded with the Vikings as they had no love for the Saxons (feels like an overture of the Normans and Saxons relations after Hastings).

Overall, a good book that would have been better for a layman like me if it hadn’t been so deeply embedded in details of how exactly people came from A to B (but I think a reader invested in this historical epoch will find this book a valuable addition).

[Pete daPixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of my heroes of history, Alfred really was the great. Prevented a full Danish takeover of the country by a thread. His story is history.