Intrigue

Michael Wood tells the story of King Alfred the Great and his children and grandson, arguing that they were the most important rulers in the history of England; shaping the nation itself, founding cities, establishing law and government and reviving the language and literature that still define the English today. Before laying the foundations of a single kingdom for 'all the English', Alfred fought a desperate guerrilla war against the Vikings in the marshes of Somerset - burning the cakes on the way - before his decisive victory at Edington.