Fai clic su di un'immagine per andare a Google Ricerca Libri.
Sto caricando le informazioni... Alfred the Great: The Man Who Made Englanddi Justin Pollard
Sto caricando le informazioni...
Iscriviti per consentire a LibraryThing di scoprire se ti piacerà questo libro. Attualmente non vi sono conversazioni su questo libro. This is a marvellously readable account of the life and reign of a king justly called the Great (though that appellation was first used only 700 years after his life). One can get an impression of the real voice and thoughts of Alfred from his commentaries on his translations into English of classic religious and secular works, which is a unique contribution we possess whether from this era, or many later ones. He truly laid down the foundations for the England of later centuries in terms of national defence, territorial unity, a clear line of royal descent, as well as modern government, literacy and education. He fully deserves his appellation. Pollard does an excellent job bringing a medieval figure to life, which is not an easy task. With very few contemporary sources and even fewer solidly reliable ones, Alfred's character is easily obscured by the ages that have passed since his reign. This book does a fine job of making Alfred seem more human and less like a myth or legend. A great pick for the casual historian. nessuna recensione | aggiungi una recensione
In an era darkened by the terror of the Viking invasions, England's first and greatest king was a beacon of light.Alfred is the only English king ever to be called 'Great'. It was not a title given by political supporters, not the sycophantic gift of an official biographer, nor a self-styled title. It was the gift of history. Justin Pollard's enthralling, authoritative account befits Alfred - a soldier, a scholar and statesman like no other in English history.His rule spanned troubled times. His shores were under constant threat from Viking marauders and he faced turmoil at home. Soon after he began his rule a conspiracy erupted and he was hounded out of his kingdom into solitary exile in forests and fens. But his ambition was not felled by adversity. Alone in this damp, dangerous, half-world of bogs and quicksand Alfred looked within and found the motivation to create a new type of nation. Non sono state trovate descrizioni di biblioteche |
Discussioni correntiNessunoCopertine popolari
Google Books — Sto caricando le informazioni... GeneriSistema Decimale Melvil (DDC)942.0164092History and Geography Europe England and Wales England Anglo-Saxon B.C. 55 - A.D. 1066 Alfred the GreatClassificazione LCVotoMedia:
Sei tu?Diventa un autore di LibraryThing. |
The Ninth Century in what is now England met the definition set by Hobbes. It was panicky and bad. Suddenly on the horizon, longships! Matters were now worse. Or were they, in terms of the longue duree Braudel asserts elsewhere that the marauding of the Vikings removed wealth from such intense concentration and helped distribute such, which likely inspired artisanal efforts and possibly investment. The Danish kickstart of the swerve or Renaissance is left under-reported. The Danes trading networks for the Berber coast to the House of Rurik can't be ignored.
Well, anyway, there were a number of kingdoms in that nascent England and Alfred was the youngest of the heirs. Attrition was common in the Anglo-Saxon era and before Bob's your uncle, he's king. He proceeds with caution and prefers negotiations with the Danes, unfortunately this drains the coffers and suddenly the witan toss him aside and the Vikings are invited in to the vacuum to stabilize. Alfred lives in the woods for a while and becomes a folk hero of sorts. There's a popular revolt and Alfred is back. Populism has been the coin of many realms. Well, all of this from a Welsh scribe named Asser, who happened to be in the employ of Good King Alfred.
Learning from the repeated Viking raids and plunder, Alfred institutes a civil defense network, he invites intellectuals to his side and begins some serious nation building, including legal codes and the promotion of literacy. He also modernized their navy and consequently the Danes left, or did they? I hear you knocking, Norman Invasion ( )