The Political Thought of King Alfred the Great

by David Pratt, Rosamond McKitterick (Contribution by), Christine Carpenter (Contribution by)

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.

Genres: History

436 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

David Pratt is a Fellow in History at Downing College Cambridge.

Librarian note: This is not the only author by this name in the database. See authors with similar names.

Reviews

[joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

+ interesting on the tension between those conquered or half-conquered leaning towards accommodating to their new Danish overlords, and Alfred persuading/forcing them to resist, with the great burdens of defence that came with that, and the moral and material glory of Carolingian Europe as the carrot. If carrot is the correct term here..
- the pomo use of ‘theatre’ as the overall frame for Alfred. Everything, right down to Alfred’s illness, is a prop in the great production of Your Next Christian Sovereign. This renders Alfred as a flat character, a bloodless director, a cipher for the pomo academic. Boo.

[Samuel Hoover]

My supervisor’s book. Some really interesting stuff in here, especially the tie-in to Bourdieu