Edward Garboczi
Tag: Book Review
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A good historical novel, when its history is accurate, offers an enjoyable way to learn about past events and people. Such stories bring history to life for adults and children alike and serve as excellent supplements to a history curriculum. Among the long line of English and British monarchs spanning more than two thousand years, only one bears the title “the Great”: Alfred the Great. He stands apart for good reason. King Alfred, who lived in the 800s AD, ruled Wessex, the last Anglo-Saxon kingdom not conquered by the pagan Vikings. He led the resistance, defeated the Vikings multiple times, and, because they controlled the seas, designed and built a navy to defend his coasts. Even in times of near defeat—when he was forced into hiding—he planned a strategic counterattack that reclaimed his kingdom and even converted some Vikings into Christian allies. Alfred was also a learned Christian who translated Latin texts, including parts of the Bible, into Anglo-Saxon and promoted literacy among his people. Additionally, he reformed the Saxon law code, making it more just and equitable.
The Namesake: A Story of King Alfred and The Marsh King, by C. Walter Hodges—renowned for his illustrations—forms a two-part historical novel series about Alfred the Great and pivotal moments in his life. The story is told through a second Alfred, a young man who becomes an assistant to the king. Hodges’s writing, paired with his beautiful illustrations, vividly portrays the life and character of this remarkable historical figure. Understanding modern Great Britain, from which much of American culture is drawn, is deepened by knowing Alfred’s legacy. Middle and high school students who read these books will find in Alfred the Great a worthy figure to admire and emulate.