Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great by Richard Abels

This biography of Alfred the Great, king of the West Saxons (871-899), combines a sensitive reading of the primary sources with a careful evaluation of the most recent scholarly research on the history and archaeology of ninth-century England. Alfred emerges from the pages of this biography as a great warlord, an effective and inventive ruler, and a passionate scholar whose piety and intellectual curiosity led him to sponsor a cultural and spiritual renaissance. Alfred's victories on the battlefield and his sweeping administrative innovations not only preserved his native Wessex from viking conquest, but began the process of political consolidation that would culminate in the creation of the kingdom of England. Alfred the Great: War, Kingship and Culture in Anglo-Saxon England strips away the varnish of later interpretations to recover the historical Alfredpragmatic, generous, brutal, pious, scholarly within the context of his own age.

'..based on wide knowledge, and not infrequent reconsideration, of the sources...this is a most useful book'. English Historical Review  'Abels' Alfred is a remarkable man...made believable, intriguing, relevant... this is a book for anyone who enjoys history.' Times Literary Supplement

RICHARD ABELS is Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780582040472
ISBN 10	0582040477
Title	Alfred the Great
Author	Richard Abels
Series	The Medieval World
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Taylor & Francis Ltd
Year published	1998-09-30
Number of pages	392
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable