Source: Historical Association (membership required)
Francis Leneghan is Professor of Old English at the University of Oxford.
In this article for the Spring 2025 edition of the Historical Associations’ journal Primary History Francis Leneghan summarises his views on whether
Alfred was really great and comes to the following conclusions:
As we can see from contemporary books such as Asser’s Life of Alfred, King Alfred’s reputation as a pious scholar and great military leader, as well as an inventor and patron of the arts, was already well established during his own lifetime.
While it might be tempting to dismiss much of this pro-Alfredian writing as mere royal propaganda, it cannot be doubted that Alfred’s reign was a turning point in British, and more specifically, English history: his military victories over the Vikings gave the English a foothold on the island that they had nearly lost, and provided a foundation for
