As an American, I'm not sure I'm qualified to *truly* weigh in, but I personally believe Alfred does deserve to be called "The Great", not only because of his success against the Vikings, but also because of how thoroughly he rose to the occasion after, as you mentioned, a quite unlikely ascension to the throne. He also advocated for literacy and education, not just within the priesthood and high society, but among the populace in general. Also, questions of accuracy and objectivity notwithstanding, the importance of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle(s) to early medieval studies cannot be denied.
You are absolutely qualified! Especially as a Viking/Scandinavia specialist - I feel I should be deferring to you...! And I totally agree with you. I think his model of kingship was so completely different to those who'd gone before him, despite ruling in a period dominated by martial concerns. I don't think any other Anglo-Saxon kings had committed quite so much time to fostering literacy amongst the population, and it's thanks to that effort that we know so much about his world.
Thanks for reminding me about these books Holly. I must read them. As you know, one of my kids shares your name, but the other we named Alfred, in part because of the king. So I’m always keen to read interpretations of his life and times.
You’re so welcome! And I love the name Alfred and your reason behind using it for your little one. I haven’t read the first two in this series but did enjoy this one. Hope you enjoy them too 🙂
Thanks Melissa! It was fun to read something knowing that it wasn’t out on general release! 🥰 the journey has been wild these past two months in particular, but having decided to lean into the nerdier side of history, I’m delighted that it’s providing value for readers 🥰
As an American, I'm not sure I'm qualified to *truly* weigh in, but I personally believe Alfred does deserve to be called "The Great", not only because of his success against the Vikings, but also because of how thoroughly he rose to the occasion after, as you mentioned, a quite unlikely ascension to the throne. He also advocated for literacy and education, not just within the priesthood and high society, but among the populace in general. Also, questions of accuracy and objectivity notwithstanding, the importance of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle(s) to early medieval studies cannot be denied.
You are absolutely qualified! Especially as a Viking/Scandinavia specialist - I feel I should be deferring to you...! And I totally agree with you. I think his model of kingship was so completely different to those who'd gone before him, despite ruling in a period dominated by martial concerns. I don't think any other Anglo-Saxon kings had committed quite so much time to fostering literacy amongst the population, and it's thanks to that effort that we know so much about his world.
Thanks for reminding me about these books Holly. I must read them. As you know, one of my kids shares your name, but the other we named Alfred, in part because of the king. So I’m always keen to read interpretations of his life and times.
You’re so welcome! And I love the name Alfred and your reason behind using it for your little one. I haven’t read the first two in this series but did enjoy this one. Hope you enjoy them too 🙂
Yay! I'm happy you were able to get an arc. It's been so exciting to watch your journey here on Substack.
Thanks Melissa! It was fun to read something knowing that it wasn’t out on general release! 🥰 the journey has been wild these past two months in particular, but having decided to lean into the nerdier side of history, I’m delighted that it’s providing value for readers 🥰
I've just been reading the late Hilary Mantel's Reith lectures on this subject, which are fascinating.