January 27, 2010
Book Review: The White Horse King
If you do not know much about Alfred the Great, have never heard of Alfred the Great, or think that Alfred the Great must be Alexander the Great's little brother, you should add The White Horse King by Benjamin Merkle to your reading list. This book will give you a crash course into the life of a man who--though you may not be aware of it--greatly influenced the world you live in today.
Although I had some idea as to who Alfred the Great was going in (thank you, home education) I realized that he was much more than an Anglo-Saxon king who held out against the Vikings. It is quite possible that had it not been for Alfred, we would all be speaking Danish and have names like "Sven". But Alfred's influence extends far more than his amazing "comeback kid" defense of Wessex. The very basis of English common law--and hence the basis of the US constitution--owes it's beginning to the legal codes set forth by the devout 9th-century king.
Benjamin Merkle's treatment of Alfred's life is detailed...but not TOO detailed. I enjoyed his vivid descriptions of battle scenes, as well as the details he gives of the cultural and political scenes of Alfred's day. The side notes are also quite interesting. (Did you know, for example, that the city of Nottingham was originally called "Snottingham" after an Anglo-Saxon ruler named "Snot"? Neither did I.)
The reading is very easy--but informative. Upon finishing the book I had a desire to learn more about this amazing period of history and this amazing individual. I imagine that this was one of the purposes of the author.
On a "missional" level, I was interested to read how Alfred confronted the pagan traditions of his day and established a biblically-based legal system.
The White Horse King is the perfect book for the history-lover in your life.
Talk back to the missionary: After reading this Alfred the Great became one of my favorite characters in history. Who is yours, and why? Give us the details in the comments section.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Posted by Andrew on January 27, 2010 6:09 PM.
Comments
Posted by: Genevieve at January 27, 2010 9:18 PM
Sounds like a book the boys would love. Send it to Petro and we'll take good care of it and send it back!
Posted by: Atha School for Boys at January 27, 2010 9:35 PM
Genevieve,
Churchill is THE MAN!!! Great leader, great linguist, and a not-too-shabby painter.
Posted by: Andrew 
at January 28, 2010 11:03 AM
Michelle,
We can do that!
Posted by: Andrew at January 28, 2010 11:03 AM
And to think that Alfred is a great..............grandfather of yours. Have been reading a devotional book on stories from the Amer Rev. Decided I would like to know more about Nathanial Greene. Washington described him as being a man who thought like him and picked him as the one to succeed him if Washington were killed. But I think that Washington is my favorite.
Posted by: Mom at February 25, 2010 10:23 PM
I bet if we followed some other lines we could take it back to the Vikings too.
Posted by: Andrew at February 25, 2010 10:28 PM
Subscribe via
I was not home educated and my knowledge of historical figures is scant. However I have read bits of a book I have about Winston Churchill and have found him to be an interesting character.