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Review
'This is the story of England's birth, a great story and beautifully told'
(Bernard Cornwell )'A boisterous portrait of the only English king to earn the epithet 'Great''
(Bettany Hughes, The Times )'A delicious historical treat' (Stephen Fry )
'Fascinating'
(Sunday Telegraph )'Compelling .. impressive in coveying the outlook of the ninth-century man'
(Daily Telegraph )'Lucid and gripping'
(Mail on Sunday )'Pollard writes with a historian's accuracy and sensitivity to context'
(Sunday Herald )'Pollard's admiration and enthusiasm for his subject helps to bring this distant figure to life'
(Tablet )'Pollard gives us a readable narrative, enhanced by a strong visual sense of place and he takes trouble over the Continental background to insular events'
(Times Literary Supplement )Bettany Hughes
'A boisterous portrait of the only English king to earn the epithet 'Great''
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Like another reviewer, I have found this to be riveting reading and I haven't finished the book yet (!) The author paces it well, explains the background without going OTT on the details and addresses successfully the intelligent lay reader. He also brings in some meaty and thought-provoking stuff, in particular the coup mounted against Alfred at Chippenham. This brings me to the title of my review, which, translated from the original Old English and therefore contemporaneous with Alfred's period, means "the king shall hold the kingdom". The author makes it clear that the nature of an "elective" king entailed the potential loss of this status if it were perceived by the "major players" in the kingdom that the king had failed precisely to do this. It also underlined the difficulties that Alfred personally faced (not just his debilitating illness) and how he had the strength of character to ultimately overcome them. If he hadn't, it's almost certain that English history would have become a much more Scandinavian history. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Justin Pollard reveals a very lively character in the only Engish King called Great.
I was impressed by his assessment of the famous 'burnt cake' incident.
His attention to the study of ancient texts is also well documented. He shows clearly Alfred's passion for the introduction of wise directed learning amongst his fellows. Also Alfred's novel 'defence policy' against the sea-borne Vikings in his 'burgh system' .
I was impressed by his assessment of the famous 'burnt cake' incident.
His attention to the study of ancient texts is also well documented. He shows clearly Alfred's passion for the introduction of wise directed learning amongst his fellows. Also Alfred's novel 'defence policy' against the sea-borne Vikings in his 'burgh system' .
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Justin Pollard's strength is the canny way he brings ancient stories to life by focussing on the human, emotional drivers that set his protagonists into action. The social and political context of Alfred's world is dealt with sensitively and non-judgmentally, leaving the reader to draw his/her own conclusions with the assistance of Pollard's meticulous research.
An excellent work: a readable and informative benchmark for the subject matter. Pollard's thesis, that Alfred was the greatest Englishman, is highly persuasive.
An excellent work: a readable and informative benchmark for the subject matter. Pollard's thesis, that Alfred was the greatest Englishman, is highly persuasive.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Alfred the Great
A concise and absorbing paperback, I found the information in the book very educational and stimulating.
The photographs could be of a better quality. Read more
The photographs could be of a better quality. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dudley Belshaw
Wonderfully readable and convincing account
The best historians take none of their sources at face value, read between the lines and then back up their point of view with evidence, all in a readable style. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Josh
England's Finest?
Justin Pollard produces his biography of Alfred the Great in a rambling style and approach more akin to a periodical article than a reference book. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Bob
excellent biography of a truly great ruler
This is a marvellously readable account of the life and reign of a king justly called the Great (though that appellation was first used only 700 years after his life). Read more
Published 5 months ago by John Hopper
The life of a great king, affectionately told
This is a thoroughly enjoyable biography of a remarkable figure from English history. Told with evident affection, it's the story of a devout Christian ruler from a time when God... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jeremy Bevan
Helps take me back in time to the 9th century
Excellent reading and even though I am only half way through the book I know that it's as detailed as one might expect, allowing for the age of the subject matter. Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2010 by Mr. R. Winslow
Alfred the Great
England has over her long proud and noble past produced some of the most heroic figures a nation could ever wish for, yet as a nation we honour there memory's not. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2010 by lonewolf1066
Alfred the Great by Justin Pollard
This book was my main vacation read this year, and I found it to be outstandingly good. Well written, historically accurate but never losing the story, which made me want to keep... Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2008 by Dr. Mark Cope
Even "Greater than Great"
Perhaps only in England, could such a truly Giant of history, be almost ignored and taken for granted , and shunted down the cul-de-sac of being a cake burner ! Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2007 by FRS
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