Escape to King Alfred

by Geoffrey Trease

1958 library-binding from The Vanguard Press, NY. 251pp.

Genres: Historical Fiction

251 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1958

About the author

Robert Geoffrey Trease (1909-1998) was a prolific writer, publishing 113 books between 1934 (Bows Against the Barons) and 1997 (Cloak for a Spy). His work has been translated into 20 languages. His grandfather was a historian, and was one of the main influences towards Trease's work.

He is best known for writing children's historical novels, whose content reflects his insistence on historically correct backgrounds, which he meticulously researched. However, with his ground-breaking study Tales Out of School (1949), he was also a pioneer of the idea that children's literature should be a serious subject for study and debate. When he began his career, his radical viewpoint was a change from the conventional and often jingoistic tone of most children's literature of the time, and he was one of the first authors who deliberately set out to appeal to both boys and girls and to feature strong leading characters of both sexes.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as when I read it at 13.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Geoffrey Trease book - an enjoyable story, and one I know I would have liked as a young child (though, as a young child, the end would have annoyed me more than it does now, perhaps because it seemed to violate the 'kill the dragon, get the girl' principle).