Ebook: Alfred the Great: Asser's "Life of King Alfred" and Other Contemporary Sources

Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge.

Alfred the Great is best known as the king who burnt the cakes, but he was also famous for other achievements. As king of Wessex from 871 to 899, he strove to emulate those kings of the past who, in his own words, had 'succeeded both in warfare and in wisdom'. He led the battle against the Viking invaders of England, and presided over the revival of religion and learning among his people: his reputation is a measure of his success.

Asser was a monk of St David’s, in Wales, who entered King Alfred’s service and eventually became Bishop of Sherborne. His 'Life of King Alfred', written in 893, is a remarkable account of the king’s activities in peace and war, and testifies to the admiration that Alfred inspired in those around him.

The other contemporary sources include annals from the 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle', King Alfred’s laws, his will, and extracts from his own writings. Taken with Asser’s 'Life', they create a vivid picture of kingship, warfare and learning in Anglo-Saxon England.

The cover shows the late ninth-century Alfred Jewel, inscribed AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN ('Alfred ordered me to be made'), reproduced by kind permission of the Trustees of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.