- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Thomas Nelson (Nov 3 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1595552529
- ISBN-13: 978-1595552525
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.7 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #356,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Sometimes the heroes of history are truly worthy of the golden reputations they carry. King Alfred united Anglo-Saxon England against a Viking invasion, led the English into battle against the Danish hordes, created a renaissance of literature and the arts, reformed the legal system, and set the stage for a revival of Christian worship. But thats not what made him great. Ben Merkle unravels the tale of how a great man came to power during one of the most difficult periods in English history, how he led his nation through them, and how he laid the groundwork for Englands coming triumphs on the global stage.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The White Horse King by Bejamin Merkle- An Honest Review,
By
This review is from: The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great (Paperback)
*Note: I have not read any other books or documents on the life of Alfred the Great, so this review is simply about the book and my experience reading it, I am not judging whether the material is completely accurate or not.** Summary: 'The White Horse King' by Benjamin Merkle is a book about the life of the legendary Alfred the Great: first King of England. In a general view it documents his life including tragedies as well as triumphs, recounting how this great king saved Britain. * Writing Style and Information:The work itself is not a specific view of Alfred's life or achievements (though it does highlight a few), but instead is a mid-sized book describing his life in general, from birth to death. An excellent first book for someone being introduced to English history and biographies for the first time. I'm quite sure that this would go over well with high school curriculum as it's not too long and boring for students, yet still provides a decent amount of information. Unlike many other historical biographies, I found 'The White Horse King' to a quite an enjoyable, relaxing read. Usually when I go in for non-fiction, I'm studying, yet when I read this work it did not feel like studying at all because the delightful down to earth perspective, which I deeply appreciated. The book was not dull (as many biographies are), and the author does not try to impress us by showing off his vocabulary, but puts his knowledge into friendly conversational language, which makes this learning experience far more versatile. * Overall Message and Lessons: The author mentions many times of the faith of Alfred, but never specifies what extent of christianity Alfred was at. Though it is true he was devoted, it is quite clear that Alfred was a Catholic, or at least heavily influenced by the Catholic Church. What I saw was that Alfred sincerely believed that being baptized into the faith was salvation, and parents might want to take that into consideration with their own religious beliefs. However, throughout the book are is the encouragement to stand up for those who can't defend themselves, seek wisdom, seek justice, show mercy, and practice forgiveness. It was an encouragement to read about the life of such a leader who was so dedicated to these principles. All in all, a wonderful work about a legendary leader who very few know much about. This book sparked my interest about Alfred the Great, and I believe I will take further interest in his life and read more detailed books on his accomplishments.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Medieval inspiration,
By
This review is from: The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great (Paperback)
In The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great, author Benjamin Merkle opens the curtain on a time in the Middle Ages when Anglo-Saxon warriors fought Viking invaders with iron spears and defended themselves with wooden shields. This colorful biography focuses on one of the few medieval rulers who earned "the Great" as a tag to his name.Alfred the Great managed to cram an amazing amount of life into his mere 50 years (849-899). Not only did he drive the Viking invaders from large parts of what is now England but he also revamped his army and devised a new way of defending his territory. During times of peace he learned to read Anglo-Saxon and Latin, translated key Latin texts including some works of Augustine and some Bible Psalms into the Anglo-Saxon vernacular, reworked the laws, and wrote a legal code for his kingdom. Three themes within Alfred's life that kept reappearing were his love for his country, his desire for wisdom, and his willingness to forgive. Merkle really gets into the spirit of the times in his descriptions of equipment, appearance, and manner of fighting, as well as the Anglo-Saxon customs of the day. How accurate is he? According to the bibliography, Merkle got as close to source documents as he could, reading numerous writings, biographies, Alfred's own writings, and studying museum artifacts. Though I found the prose dense and the read slow going in places, I felt Merkle did a good job of bringing Alfred and the history of his time to life. His admiration for the man is infectious and he never fails to draw attention to the wellspring of Alfred's accomplishments - his Christian faith. This focus takes the story beyond a mere historical tale to an inspirational one as well. The White Horse King would be a valuable addition to the library of historians and casual readers. It would also make great supplementary reading for high school and college students studying medieval England. (I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Alfred, England's only ruler to be known as "The Great",
By
This review is from: The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great (Paperback)
Full disclaimer: I do not normally read non-fiction nor am I qualified to judge any research or facts in the book. I'm just here to provide input on my own reading experience.Author Benjamin Merkle recounts the life of Alfred, born the fifth son and never expected to rule. Upon the deaths of his elder brothers he becomes King of Wessex in the 9C as the Saxons battle the constant raids of the Danish Vikings. Tired of paying Danegeld (a form of ransom) to the Vikings, Alfred strengthens his cities and military to better enable them to repel the Vikings once and for all. Alfred is also renowned for his strong Christian faith as well as educational and legal reforms. I very much appreciated the maps and drawings, as well as the footnotes on the sides of the pages instead of having to flip to the back of the book. I have to share my favorite of those, "At that time, more than three centuries before the time of Robin Hood, the Anglo-Saxon name of Nottingham was Snotengaham, apparently named after an earlier chieftain named Snot. Luckily for the modern-day residents of the city, the "S" was eventually dropped from the name, and so, rather than Snottingham, the city is now called Nottingham." Whew! Glad that never happened. While I found this an interesting read, it was a bit dry at times and also a bit on the *light* side - a short book without a lot of in depth detail, and for those reasons I'd only recommend it for those with a burning interest in this period and/or Alfred himself. Additional reading material Alfred: Warrior King (a third party recommendation I have not read this), the Bernard Cornwell series plus there's also Joan Wolf's awesome The Edge of Light (Onyx). Don't let that cover scare you its really quite good, although a tad bit on the romance side of the genre.
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