Alfred of Wessex

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.