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The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great
Sometimes the heroes of history are truly worthy of the golden reputations they carry.
King Alfred united Anglo-Saxon England against a Viking invasion, led the English into battle against the Danish hordes, created a renaissance of literature and the arts, reformed the legal system, and set the stage for a revival of Christian worship. But that's not what made him great.
...morePaperback, 272 pages
Published
November 3rd 2009
by Thomas Nelson
(first published 2009)
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This is a fine, literary introduction to the life of Alfred the Great. At just over 200 pages, the general reader is easily transported to the Old English world, where the line between Norse paganism and the Christianity of Alfred and others was a genuine battlefront.
Merkle, a college professor from Idaho, writes a biography here that is more literary than historical. The level of writing is appropriate for the teen and above audience. People familiar with the fictional stories of Old...more
Merkle, a college professor from Idaho, writes a biography here that is more literary than historical. The level of writing is appropriate for the teen and above audience. People familiar with the fictional stories of Old...more
The White Horse King is a book written about the life of Alfred the Great as he led the kingdoms of Britain in a battle against the vikings and then afterward as "he sparked a literary renaissance, restructured Britain's roadways, revised the legal codes, and revived Christian learning and worship." In other words, it's a historical fiction book written about an underdog king who beat out the Vikings and overhauled the British ways of learning and worship.
When I picked up thi...more
When I picked up thi...more
This is the first piece of English history that I have read from this time period...the 800s AD. This is the time of the Anglo-Saxons, people that had their origins in the Germanic Tribes of northern Europe that traversed the English Channel and ruled England in the years following the decline of the Roman Empire. At this time Great Britain was divided into many small kingdoms, e.g., Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Wessex, etc. These kingdoms were ruled by Anglo-Saxon nobles, though over time ...more
I love history. My AA is in European history, then I went on and finished with Art History. The history of England particularly fascinates me so when I had a chance to review this book I snapped it up. Alfred was never expected to be king - he was a fifth son - perhaps that lack of expectations is what let him be a great king. It was a time when England was not at all united and not even the England we know today. The Vikings were relentlessly attacking and the people were in constant fear. They...more
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It's hard to know what to say about a person like Alfred the Great without getting long-winded. I think I will just say that through the reading I have done so far, power-hungry kings are a dime a dozen. The kings that are humble, caring, and view themselves as a servant of the people, are much more rare. Alfred is one of the latter. His is one of those stories that inspire the phrase “truth is better than fiction”.
Some reviewers have complained that this book is ‘unscholarly’, a...more
Some reviewers have complained that this book is ‘unscholarly’, a...more
"The White Horse King" is a wonderfully scripted story of the most unlikely kink of England, Alfred The Great. This epic story takes place during the early times. That being prior to Alfreds' asention to the throne in A.D. 871. This story actually begins shortly after his birth and continues throughout his reign as King of England. Ironically, this is also the time in which the Norsemen, or Vikings as they are better known, were making inroads into England in their attempts to pillage ...more
I have to admit that ancient history is my thing. Ancient history full of Viking battles and warriors on horses with spears is even better! This is the story of the life of Alfred the Great who was the king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. The White Horse King is the story of how Alfred the Great defends Wessex against the Viking invasion. The story is full of rampaging Vikings and fierce battles fought by men wielding battle axes and spears. This book was really hard to put...more
Full disclaimer: I do not normally read non-fiction nor am I qualified to judge any research or facts in the book. I'm just here to provide input on my own reading experience.
Author Benjamin Merkle recounts the life of Alfred, born the fifth son and never expected to rule. Upon the deaths of his elder brothers he becomes King of Wessex in the 9C as the Saxons battle the constant raids of the Danish Vikings. Tired of paying Danegeld (a form of ransom) to the Vikings, Alfred strengthe...more
Author Benjamin Merkle recounts the life of Alfred, born the fifth son and never expected to rule. Upon the deaths of his elder brothers he becomes King of Wessex in the 9C as the Saxons battle the constant raids of the Danish Vikings. Tired of paying Danegeld (a form of ransom) to the Vikings, Alfred strengthe...more
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I really enjoyed this book. The format is very easy to read and comfortable to hold. There are side notes where a little more history or clarification of a term is helpful. I found this more interesting than just footnotes at the bottom of a page. The story is well told and clear, in spite of describing a time and culture very different and new to me.
The story is a good one. The history of Christianity in England, the invasions of the Vikings, and the efforts of the people to fight t...more
The story is a good one. The history of Christianity in England, the invasions of the Vikings, and the efforts of the people to fight t...more
This is a very thorough history of King Alfred's life, from being surprised at becoming King, as the 5th son in line, to learning how to do battle against those marauding Viking Danes. Alfred is remarkable as a Christian King, baptizing his captured enemies, with some success. Alfred encouraged all cities to build fortifications to keep the Vikings out, and was largely successful.
I would have loved to have better maps showing all the cities and regions described in the text, located ...more
I would have loved to have better maps showing all the cities and regions described in the text, located ...more
Benkamin Merkle: The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great
Our friend Ben Merkle has written a biography of great King Alfred, the Saxon king of Wessex who drove back the Danes. Wrtten in a lively, engaging style and with a sense of the adventure of Alfred's life, Ben tells of the struggle with the Danes (Vikings) and also of the spiritual and cultural legacy that Alfred left in our history. His concern for learning led to translations of the Bible and great works of St. Augustine...more
Our friend Ben Merkle has written a biography of great King Alfred, the Saxon king of Wessex who drove back the Danes. Wrtten in a lively, engaging style and with a sense of the adventure of Alfred's life, Ben tells of the struggle with the Danes (Vikings) and also of the spiritual and cultural legacy that Alfred left in our history. His concern for learning led to translations of the Bible and great works of St. Augustine...more
This was great. I had to return to it after I created some distance twixt it and Wodehouse (lest I judge with weighted scales), and I loved it. A solid, sober (but not at all boring) account of The Great Alfred. Very informative, very thoroughly researched (we can catch a glimpse of this from the smatterings of Anglo-Saxon that he sows), and it moves like a freight train. A very worthwhile book, and an essential book for any student of English history.
Though, I must confess, my f...more
Though, I must confess, my f...more
The end result of reading, "The White Horse King" is that I have discovered a new hero, King Alfred the Great. A King of the mid to late 800's, Alfred defends, restores, and rebuilds the broken kingdoms of England. Responsible for repairing roadways and legal codes, King Alfred also initiated a remarkable literary revival.
Perhaps the Braveheart of England, the King proves to be a valiant warrior protecting his subjects from the fierce Vikings. Equal to his valor is his chari...more
Perhaps the Braveheart of England, the King proves to be a valiant warrior protecting his subjects from the fierce Vikings. Equal to his valor is his chari...more
Fact or fiction? Both! Benjamin Merkle writes about the history of King Alfred the Great with the facts conveyed in a fictional guise. I was truly astonished by the history of King Alfred. Between the baptism and adoption of his worst enemy and his clever battle tactics, this is a history book that won't disappoint.
I have started my goal to read at least one book on every English King/Queen starting with Alfred the Great. This book was a great look at Alfred's life and reign and his many battles with the Viking invasions. Very easy to read and understand. Next I will skip over his son Edward and go onto the first true King of all of England, Ethelstan.
The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great by Benjamin R. Merkle is a great book. I had never heard of Alfred the great before or how he had affected and how his life affects England today.
The beginning of the book is a little slow to get into but once you get past that it is a great read. I have seen how some would like a more critical eye toward the historical pros and cons but I think this book was more of an overview and a snapshot, a very detailed snap shot, of one...more
The beginning of the book is a little slow to get into but once you get past that it is a great read. I have seen how some would like a more critical eye toward the historical pros and cons but I think this book was more of an overview and a snapshot, a very detailed snap shot, of one...more
Heather
is currently reading it
Been to the land of Alfred with the author so I'm excited to learn more.
good quick read - Huzzah Alfred!
Excellent.
Excellent book. Enjoyed it very much. Alfred was truly a Godly king.
Great book! I do hope that my boys grow up to resemble the awesome man that Alfred was!
A really good overview of Alfred's life and legacy and why he's the only British monarch to be given the title "The Great". Covers all the battles, reforms and higlights of his life and reign and reads like a story book. Well done.
!Tæmbuŝu
marked it as to-read
A fantastically researched, blood-stirring account of Alfred's remarkable reign. The descriptions of the shield wall will stay with me till I die.
Now I know why Alfred is "the Great"
Daniel Anderson
marked it as to-read
Meridian Paulton
is currently reading it
Rodney Ulyate
marked it as to-read
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Benjamin R. Merkle is a Fellow of Theology and Classical Languages at New Saint Andrews College and a Contributing Editor to Credenda/Agenda. He received an MA in English Literature from the University of Idaho, an MSt in Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford, and is currently pursuing his doctorate at the University of Oxford.
More about Benjamin R. Merkle...
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