Product Description

Asser’s Life of King Alfred, written in 893, is a revealing account of one of the greatest of medieval kings. Composed by a monk of St David’s in Wales who became Bishop of Sherborne in Alfred’s service and worked with him in his efforts to revive religion and learning in his kingdom, this life is among the earliest surviving royal biographies. It is an admiring account of King Alfred’s life, written in absorbing detail – chronicling his battles against Viking invaders and his struggle to increase the strength and knowledge of his people, and to unite his people at a time of conflict, uncertainty and war.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31093 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

About the Author
Little is known of Asser beyond this work. Simon Keynes is Reader in Anglo-Saxon History at Cambridge University. He is the author of The Diplomas of King Aethelred 'the Unready' and of numerous articles on Anglo-Saxon history. Michael Lapidge is Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Cambridge University and a Fellow of Clare College. He has translated the Latin writings of Aldhelm and is the author of numerous books on Latin literature.

Customer Reviews

A Good Collection of Sources, but not a Light Read
A good rounded collection of late 9th century sources pertaining to King Alfred the Great (871-99) make up this little volume, including Asser's "Life of Alfred", Alfred's will, law codes and extracts from his own translations (includ. Gregory's "Dialogues" and Boethius's "Consolation of Philosophy"), and some accredited letters and charters. Given new and, in places, very lively translations by the indomitable scholars Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge, they're made accessible to the general reader.

However, as other reviewers have noted, these sources are not the most entertaining of historical documents. Despite their accumulated importance for students and scholars of Anglo-Saxon history, they're often difficult to penetrate and to untangle. This is partially eased by the very useful and insightful introdution, maps and footnotes included, which serve to buttress the otherwise inaccessible materials.

Asser's "Life of Alfred" is of particular interest, being one of the first surviving biographies of a lay person in the Anglo-Saxon world. Written around 893, it is a remarkable account of the king's activities in peace and in war and offers a clue as to the origins of Alfred's epithet - "the Great".

An excellent, pivotal text for those people interested in the Anglo-Saxon world, and also prepared to delve into the sources for a lot more than simple entertainment. As an afternote, a copy of the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" would probably prove useful when reading just to familiarise yourself with the wider implications of the texts, and particularly Asser's "Life."

What more could you ask for?
The book is an excellent addition to anybody who is studying the events of Anglo-Saxon England. The book includes Asser's "Life" and this is added to with extracts from the Anglo-Saxon chronicles. What makes this book so impressive is its ability to present Alfred in his context as the Great King that he was. The inclusion of various other sources mean that one can really grasp the knowledge and learn more about the period in which Alfred lived. The notes iron out any confusing that could be left in the open. It is one of the most important and worthwhile buys that I have made while studying this topic at university.

Many sources and good footnotes on this Saxon King.
This book presents a number of sources on Alfred; The principle amoung these being a translation of his biographer Asser and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. These are backed up by excerpts from Alfreds writings and some other sources.

This book is very informative and the notes (which occupy the entire second half of the book )are well researched and provide more insight to both the sources and the monarch. If you're looking for a scholarly introduction to the king, I reccomend this.

( Oh one last thing, if the publishers are reading this I have to say that the cover looked better with the black background. )