The Political Thought of King Alfred the Great

by David Pratt
The Political Thought of King Alfred the Great
Author: David Pratt
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 437
Release: 2007-05-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1139463551
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This book is a comprehensive study of political thought at the court of King Alfred the Great (871–99). It explains the extraordinary burst of royal learned activity focused on inventive translations from Latin into Old English attributed to Alfred's own authorship. A full exploration of context establishes these texts as part of a single discourse which placed Alfred himself at the heart of all rightful power and authority. A major theme is the relevance of Frankish and other European experiences, as sources of expertise and shared concerns, and for important contrasts with Alfredian thought and behaviour. Part I assesses Alfred's rule against West Saxon structures, showing the centrality of the royal household in the operation of power. Part II offers an intimate analysis of the royal texts, developing far-reaching implications for Alfredian kingship, communication and court culture. Comparative in approach, the book places Alfred's reign at the forefront of wider European trends in aristocratic life.

Alfred the Great

by Eleanor Shipley Duckett
Alfred the Great
Author: Eleanor Shipley Duckett
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2014-12-10
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 022622919X
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From the author of The Gateway to the Middle Ages, “a fascinating portrait of an enlightened monarch against a background of darkness and ignorance” (Kirkus Reviews). Filled with drama and action, here is the story of the ninth-century life and times of Alfred—warrior, conqueror, lawmaker, scholar, and the only king whom England has ever called “The Great.” Based on up-to-date information on ninth-century history, geography, philosophy, literature, and social life, it vividly presents exciting views of Alfred in every stage of his long career and leaves the reader with a sharply etched picture of the world of the Middle Ages.

Alfred the Great

by Richard Abels
Alfred the Great
Author: Richard Abels
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 392
Release: 2013-11-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317900413
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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.

Early Medieval Britain, c. 500–1000

by Rory Naismith
Early Medieval Britain, c. 500–1000
Author: Rory Naismith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 493
Release: 2021-07-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1108424449
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Deconstructs the early history of Britain, illustrating a transformative era with wide-ranging sources and an accessible narrative.

Alfredian Prologues and Epilogues

by Susan Irvine
Alfredian Prologues and Epilogues
Author: Susan Irvine
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2024-02-16
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0192884697
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The Old English literary works traditionally associated with King Alfred are furnished with an array of prologues, epilogues, and other frame texts. These texts give fascinating glimpses into the ideas and contexts underlying the composition and reception of the Alfredian corpus. They draw attention to the ways in which authority and authorship interacted in the period and to contemporary perceptions of poetry and prose. This new edition addresses the contextual, critical, and theoretical issues raised by the frame texts, including their relationship to earlier traditions of prologue and epilogue, their engagement with English as a literary language, and their implications for the authorship debate. The texts are edited here for the first time in a single volume, with a facing-page modern English translation and a wide range of explanatory material.

The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England

by Michael Lapidge
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England
Author: Michael Lapidge
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 760
Release: 2013-10-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 111831610X
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Widely acknowledged as the essential reference work for this period, this volume brings together more than 700 articles written by 150 top scholars that cover the people, places, activities, and creations of the Anglo-Saxons. The only reference work to cover the history, archaeology, arts, architecture, literatures, and languages of England from the Roman withdrawal to the Norman Conquest (c.450 – 1066 AD) Includes over 700 alphabetical entries written by 150 top scholars covering the people, places, activities, and creations of the Anglo-Saxons Updated and expanded with 40 brand-new entries and a new appendix detailing "English Archbishops and Bishops, c.450-1066" Accompanied by maps, line drawings, photos, a table of "English Rulers, c.450-1066," and a headword index to facilitate searching An essential reference tool, both for specialists in the field, and for students looking for a thorough grounding in key topics of the period

Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, and Women in Tenth-Century England

by Rebecca Hardie
Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, and Women in Tenth-Century England
Author: Rebecca Hardie
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 318
Release: 2023-11-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 1501512420
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Æthelflæd (c. 870–918), political leader, military strategist, and administrator of law, is one of the most important ruling women in English history. Despite her multifaceted roles and family legacy, however, her reign and relationship with other women in tenth-century England have never been the subject of a book-length study. This interdisciplinary collection of essays redresses a notable hiatus in scholarship of early medieval England. Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, and Women in Tenth-Century England argues for a reassessment of women’s political, military, literary, and domestic agency. It invites deeper reflection on the female kinships, networks, and communities that give meaning to Æthelflæd’s life, and through this shows how medieval history can invite new engagements with the past.