Alfred the Great was a ruler that was not only a good one, but he was a well respected one. Alfred rebuilt towns and forts and gathered an army for the coming war. But a force of Danes secretly crept into Wessex late in 875. Before Alfred could rally his troops, they had settled in Dorsetshire, quickly reinforcing themselves with fresh Danish forces. Alfred came to terms with those settlers, deciding it would be easier to pay them again rather than risk another war. This time, however, he exacted a solemn oath that the Danes would leave Wessex and never return, an oath bound by everything holy in the Viking religion. The Danes kept their word for barely a year. They took the fortress at Wareham in 876, followed by Exeter in 877, then dug in for the winter while Alfred laid siege to the invaders and hoped to starve them out. A Viking fleet of reinforcements floundered off the Dorset coast in a storm that sank more than 100 ships. Disheartened, the Danes returned north, driving the English from eastern Mercia and dividing the land among a new wave of Danish settlers. The lands held by the last English kingdom were too great a temptation for the Danes to resist for long, however.
Then around 874 a warrior named Guthrum took control of the Danish forces. In January 878 he led them south to an attempt to capture Alfred during Christams in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Along the way, the Danes stopped at Countisbury Hill to crush a small fortress held by the Wessex ealdorman Odda. But Odda was a man inspired by God, according to Bishop Asser; he and his Saxons stormed out from his fortress early in the morning while the Danes slept, killed the Danish king and many of his forces, which saved Alfred from almost certain defeat. Alfred and a few of his men then ran to the Somerset marshes during the Christmas of 878, as the Danes took over all of Anglo-Saxon Britain. Alfred and his men built a bridge across the Parret and Tone Rivers to allow his men to hunt the game on the lands of the swaps.
As Alfred and his men were there the Danes went after him to capture him. At this time Alfred was ready for them and ready to attack. When the Danes arrived, Alfred defeated them and they retreated 15 miles back to Chippenham. After the war Alfred demanded that Gutherum surrender. Gutherum did not do so, and Alfred then decided to take over the Danes. Alfred took over the Danes and trained them to be good and civil people. For doing this he earned the name Alfred the Great. Alfred then regained his thrown in London. He then died in 899.
The writes view on Alfred the Great was well documented. Everything that seemed to happen in Alfred’s life was well stated. A lot of information about Alfred the Great is in Michael Carr’s article. Compared to the book The Western Heritage, Alfred the Great is pretty much the same person as the article describes him to be. For example the book states that he was a good leader, the article also states the same thing.
In conclusion to Michael Carr’s article I think that he wrote a very good article. He explains Alfred the Great very well. Michael Carr also gives a lot of information I did not know. Foe example In the year 878, Danish forces had conquered most of England and driven the Saxon king of Wessex, Alfred, westward into the Somerset marshes and that Alfred found respite behind the natural barrier formed by the Parret and Tone rivers, built a strong fort and raised a bridge across the river so his men could hunt the abundant game living in the surrounding forests. This was a good article about Alfred the Great, it had a lot of information about his life and role in the 9th century.
Michael Carr’s article “Alfred the Great strikes back” pg 62
Michael Carr’s article “Alfred the Great strikes back”- pg 62
Michael Carr’s article “Alfred the Great strikes back”- pg 62
The Western Heritage 7th edition by Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. Pg 241
Michael Carr’s article “Alfred the Great strikes back”- pg 62
Michael Carr’s article “Alfred the Great strikes back”- pg 62
Michael Carr’s article “Alfred the Great strikes back”- pg 62