Alfred the Great recounts the life of the ninth-century king of Wessex who resisted Viking conquest and laid foundations for a more unified English kingdom. It follows his early defeats, recovery at Athelney and victory over Guthrum, together with the settlements that divided territory and stabilised his rule.
The biography also examines Alfred’s fortified towns, military reforms, law code and programme of learning and translation. It considers how later chroniclers transformed a successful West Saxon ruler into an enduring model of English kingship.
