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John the Old Saxon
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Francia and Wessex, ninth century. John, a learned Saxon monk at Hautvillers, combines scholarship with practical courage when Viking attack threatens his community. His abilities eventually bring him across the Channel to the court of Alfred, where the king is gathering teachers capable of restoring learning after decades of war.
John becomes part of Alfred’s programme of translation, education and monastic reform while the kingdom continues to face military danger. The novel follows the tension between contemplative study and public service, showing how books, schools and disciplined religious communities formed another front in Alfred’s effort to rebuild Wessex.
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