- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; New edition edition (1 July 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0297831941
- ISBN-13: 978-0297831945
- Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 17.2 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,306,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Tells the story of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex. Despite small resources, this singular man - a doughty warrior, impressive administrator and dedicated scholar - succeeded in defeating formidable foes and becoming the founder of the English monarchy.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Very good, but the author has a tendency sometimes to go off on a tangent. Including such an elusive and mercurial figure as King Arthur in the chronology of actual historical events doesn't do much to enhance his credibility either. Even so, a well balanced, readable and worthwhile account.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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1 review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
THE ONLY ENGLISH MONARCH GIVEN THE TITLE "THE GREAT"
12 Oct 2005
Format:Paperback
And it was justly deserved. King Alfred ruled Wessex, England 871-899. His country was in a deplorable educational decline--old monks died before teaching the younger monks how to read Latin, and so a great many works were lost to illiteracy. England had fallen into a chasm of bitter feuding between warlords after the Romans left in 410. But most pressingly--the Danes attacked at their leisure--by the thousands--pillaging, raping, and burning. After his three brothers had succeeded to the throne, and each was killed in battle, Alfred suddenly found himself wearing the crown, commanding a kingdom battered by seemingly inexhaustible enemies and mired in despair. His resources were terribly low, monetary and otherwise, and yet King Alfred and his loyal army (and navy) won enough battles to force the Danes to make peace--and he even converted the pagan King Guthrum to Christianity. King Alfred recruited scholars from the continent, he was friends with the grandchildren of Charlemagne, he exhorted his noblemen to read books, he erected forts at strategic points all across the boundaries of Wessex, and he is generally acknowledged as the father of the British Navy. The man was nothing short of genius.
Douglas Woodruff's book brings King Alfred back to life: The events of his father's reign, the circumstances of Alfred's ascent to the throne, the sense of patriotism he instilled in his subjects, and the after-effects of Alfred's commitment to God and Country--the man's spirit echoed for centuries. Indeed, England celebrated the 1,000-year anniversaries of both Alfred's birth and death.
The author includes maps of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon paintings and drawings, photos of Anglo-Saxon (and Dane) armor, photos of gargantuan drawings carved into hillsides commemorating Alfred's victories (which still exist today), and even photos of Anglo-Saxon jewelry and coins.
For either the novice, or the seasoned student of English history, this book will fascinate.
Douglas Woodruff's book brings King Alfred back to life: The events of his father's reign, the circumstances of Alfred's ascent to the throne, the sense of patriotism he instilled in his subjects, and the after-effects of Alfred's commitment to God and Country--the man's spirit echoed for centuries. Indeed, England celebrated the 1,000-year anniversaries of both Alfred's birth and death.
The author includes maps of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon paintings and drawings, photos of Anglo-Saxon (and Dane) armor, photos of gargantuan drawings carved into hillsides commemorating Alfred's victories (which still exist today), and even photos of Anglo-Saxon jewelry and coins.
For either the novice, or the seasoned student of English history, this book will fascinate.
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