Alfred the Great was not likely to be king if the circumstances of his life did not happen. He was the youngest son of Aethelwulf, king of Wessex and he had four elder brothers who were in line to succeed in the throne.Yet, as if in an act of fate, his father and all his older brothers died during the invasion of the Vikings. You can say that greatness was in him and yet greatness was thrown into his lap as things turned from good to worse.One of the great hallmarks of his life was the defense of England against the Danes. Yet he was more scholar than warrior. In fact, one of the best things he was known for is the provision of education to the commoners in their native English language.In this book you will catch a glimpse into the life and struggles of Alfred the Great. The book covers his exploits, his weaknesses, and all the things that made him great.Like all historic figures from centuries past, his actual history has been blurred in a mixture of fact, fiction, myth, and legend. This book will try to reconstruct the high and low points of his life and retell the reasons why he is the only king in all of England to be called The Great.
