A fine article marred by a shocking, unnecessary and inaccurate slandering of King George III!
He ruled for 60 years, only the last decade of which was touched by his lunacy.
Good King George was loyal husband and a doting father (of 15 healthy children) as well as a fastidious and tireless King in Parliament. His many and detailed letters to ministers are often dated to the minute of their dispatch. He turned Kew over to the study of botany and Richmond Palace to astronomy. He patronised and studied horology and agriculture and, of course, he founded and paid the initial costs of the Royal Academy.
In politics we so often think of the handling of the American Rebellion that we forget he oversaw the great British victory in the Seven Years War. Whig propaganda has blackened his name down to our own time, and Mr West should bear that well in mind. The Monticello slave driver and rebel Thomas Jefferson called him a 'Plundering Tyrant' Well, there you are. I wonder what Jefferson's 600 slaves might have said to that.
He led the nation in the resistance to Revolutionary France and I believe he would have made good on his promise to lead at the head of his men had Napoleon landed on our island.
He also had a wonderful and mischievious sense of humour.
No Mr West, think again on George III. Perhaps a good subject for a future article as penance.
Beware the historical legacy of poisonous Whiggery!
For contemporary evidence of Alfred's achievements, how about his 'Londonia' coins, minted around 880 when he took the city back from the Danes. These pennies and halfpennies turn up occasionally on Saxon archaeological sites in London. There's a good image here: https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/collection/coins/alfred-the-great-penny/
Nothing at all to do with Alfred but still on history, yesterday evening I watched the first episode in a BBC documentary about Julius Caesar. The production values were good and the scenes atmospheric but the talking heads were sooo annoying. There were so many of them it was hard to keep track. Sometimes one would start a point and in the editing someone else would finish it. Among this multitude of experts was a white British professor who talked in such an excited fashion you would have thought he had actually just witnessed with his own eyes what he was relating, rather than him having read about it in various history books. There was an elderly black American lady who spoke in slow, deliberate platitudes and gestured all the time with her hands, as though what she were saying was so profound it would be hard for us mere mortals to keep up. Can't imagine why they chose her. There was a young Asian assistant professor who was pleasant but had the voice of a 5-year-old girl. Surely a non-weird voice is the only thing a talking head needs, other than expertise. I don't think there were any lesbians or wheelchair-users among this lot, which was a surprise. The only non-annoying experts were Tom Holland and an Italian bloke. I switched off 15 minutes before the end as I could no longer stand it.
Even in America we learned about King Alfred, and as early as 7th grade (which is approximately age 12 - 13). Of course, King Alfred and the cakes was taught as verified truth, and our teacher told us that he'd 'reconquered the Danelaw' which is manifestly untrue! But I wouldn't find that out until a college course in medieval history. Loved your essay, and I am quite likely to buy the book.
What do you think of the argument that most of what we know about Alfred could be a polished story or a form of propaganda, having come from his reign?
(And I have the vintage Ladybird book of King Alfred at my elbow right now, having rescued earlier from being trampled on the kid's bedroom floor. Yes, I know, but they have to start somewhere. The illustrations are great, especially if you like blonde beards and horned helmets and amazingly sunny weather.)
I live in wantage. The King Alfred’s head is still going strong!
A fine article marred by a shocking, unnecessary and inaccurate slandering of King George III!
He ruled for 60 years, only the last decade of which was touched by his lunacy.
Good King George was loyal husband and a doting father (of 15 healthy children) as well as a fastidious and tireless King in Parliament. His many and detailed letters to ministers are often dated to the minute of their dispatch. He turned Kew over to the study of botany and Richmond Palace to astronomy. He patronised and studied horology and agriculture and, of course, he founded and paid the initial costs of the Royal Academy.
In politics we so often think of the handling of the American Rebellion that we forget he oversaw the great British victory in the Seven Years War. Whig propaganda has blackened his name down to our own time, and Mr West should bear that well in mind. The Monticello slave driver and rebel Thomas Jefferson called him a 'Plundering Tyrant' Well, there you are. I wonder what Jefferson's 600 slaves might have said to that.
He led the nation in the resistance to Revolutionary France and I believe he would have made good on his promise to lead at the head of his men had Napoleon landed on our island.
He also had a wonderful and mischievious sense of humour.
No Mr West, think again on George III. Perhaps a good subject for a future article as penance.
Beware the historical legacy of poisonous Whiggery!
For contemporary evidence of Alfred's achievements, how about his 'Londonia' coins, minted around 880 when he took the city back from the Danes. These pennies and halfpennies turn up occasionally on Saxon archaeological sites in London. There's a good image here: https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/collection/coins/alfred-the-great-penny/
Nothing at all to do with Alfred but still on history, yesterday evening I watched the first episode in a BBC documentary about Julius Caesar. The production values were good and the scenes atmospheric but the talking heads were sooo annoying. There were so many of them it was hard to keep track. Sometimes one would start a point and in the editing someone else would finish it. Among this multitude of experts was a white British professor who talked in such an excited fashion you would have thought he had actually just witnessed with his own eyes what he was relating, rather than him having read about it in various history books. There was an elderly black American lady who spoke in slow, deliberate platitudes and gestured all the time with her hands, as though what she were saying was so profound it would be hard for us mere mortals to keep up. Can't imagine why they chose her. There was a young Asian assistant professor who was pleasant but had the voice of a 5-year-old girl. Surely a non-weird voice is the only thing a talking head needs, other than expertise. I don't think there were any lesbians or wheelchair-users among this lot, which was a surprise. The only non-annoying experts were Tom Holland and an Italian bloke. I switched off 15 minutes before the end as I could no longer stand it.
The buried reference to sexual neurosis is a gem!
Even in America we learned about King Alfred, and as early as 7th grade (which is approximately age 12 - 13). Of course, King Alfred and the cakes was taught as verified truth, and our teacher told us that he'd 'reconquered the Danelaw' which is manifestly untrue! But I wouldn't find that out until a college course in medieval history. Loved your essay, and I am quite likely to buy the book.
Alfred’s wife, Ealhswith, is a Saint though. (According to Wikipedia).
He created the Royal Navy.
Great article, just a small correction that the original manuscript of Beowulf did in fact survive the Ashburnham fire, though it was damaged.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowell_Codex
What do you think of the argument that most of what we know about Alfred could be a polished story or a form of propaganda, having come from his reign?
(And I have the vintage Ladybird book of King Alfred at my elbow right now, having rescued earlier from being trampled on the kid's bedroom floor. Yes, I know, but they have to start somewhere. The illustrations are great, especially if you like blonde beards and horned helmets and amazingly sunny weather.)
...yes.... but what about Edmund?...
"And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys;
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.
He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde
In al his lyf unto no maner wight.
He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght."
G. Chaucer: The General Prologue
Bernard Cornwell's "Saxon Chronicle" series has a lot to say about the later life of Alfred (historical fiction). I recommend it.
This is not really worth subscribing from what I see?
Isn't it Aethelstan and Aethelwulf?
I have been bringing up Alfred, almost involuntarily, and surprisingly reverentially, for months now. It's nice to find friends.