Alfred the Great is a rare historical figure from the early Middle Ages, in that he retains a popular image. Because this image increasingly suffers from the "dead white male syndrome," exacerbated by Alfred's association with British imperialism and colonialism, this book provides an accessible reassessment of the famous ruler of Wessex, informed by current scholarship, both on the king as a man in history, and the king as a subsequent legendary construct. Alfred the Great (ca. 849 - 899), king of Wessex, lived in a time of intense and violent national crisis. His was the only English...
Alfred the Great is a rare historical figure from the early Middle Ages, in that he retains a popular image. Because this image increasingly suffers f...