Why Alfred Burned the Cakes
Why Alfred Burned the Cakes
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Why Alfred Burned the Cakes by David Horspool
For a long time, the legend of the burnt cakes was one of dozens of stories that were associated with the King and his time, from disguising himself as a minstrel to introducing the jury system. Alfred's historical achievements - saving his kingdom from invasion, attempting both to expand and educate his realm - and the way his story was told from the beginning, combined to make him the founding mythic figure of England. In stripping away the myths, historians have left an Alfred whose place in the popular imagination has all but vanished. This book attempts to recover a popular Alfred, understanding how he came to be 'Great' and how much myth had to do with that.
Horspool successfully combines a historical approach..with a perceptive analysis of the various tales the King engendered. * Times Literary Supplement *
explodes some of the myths surrounding his legacy, while retaining an interest in the genesis of the stories about him that have modern currency... * Observer *
David Horspool's Why Alfred Burned the Cakes does not seek to discredit the cult of Alfred as unhistorical but instead to look at why the myths surrounding him came into being. * Financial Times Magazine *
Myths...are scraped off like barnacles as the West Saxon hero is pulled from the morass of pious public schoolboy attitudes and sentimental Victorian values by a cheerfully revisionist historian. * Times *
This entertaining, pithy and thought-provoking book both embodies and explains the enduring resonance of Alfred's story. * Sunday Telegraph *
If you have time to read just one book about the great man, you should make it this one. * Daily Telegraph *
explodes some of the myths surrounding his legacy, while retaining an interest in the genesis of the stories about him that have modern currency... * Observer *
David Horspool's Why Alfred Burned the Cakes does not seek to discredit the cult of Alfred as unhistorical but instead to look at why the myths surrounding him came into being. * Financial Times Magazine *
Myths...are scraped off like barnacles as the West Saxon hero is pulled from the morass of pious public schoolboy attitudes and sentimental Victorian values by a cheerfully revisionist historian. * Times *
This entertaining, pithy and thought-provoking book both embodies and explains the enduring resonance of Alfred's story. * Sunday Telegraph *
If you have time to read just one book about the great man, you should make it this one. * Daily Telegraph *
David Horspool is the history editor of The Times Literary Supplement. He lives in London and is now writing a book on English rebels.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781861977793 |
| ISBN 10 | 1861977794 |
| Title | Why Alfred Burned the Cakes |
| Author | David Horspool |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Profile Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2007-07-19 |
| Number of pages | 240 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |