Book Description

Asser was a late ninth century Welsh monk, who is chiefly remembered as the friend, counsellor and biographer of Alfred the Great. Composed in Latin, ‘The Life of King Alfred’ follows his career from birth to accession in 871, describing in detail Alfred’s reign and his wars. It provides a revealing account of one of the greatest medieval kings, who sought to revive religion and learning in his kingdom. Among the earliest surviving royal biographies, it offers an admiring and endearing account of the monarch’s life, chronicling his battles against Viking invaders and his struggles to develop the power and knowledge of the Saxons, uniting his people at a time of grave peril. Delphi’s Medieval Library provides eReaders with rare and precious works of the Middle Ages, with noted English translations and the original texts. This eBook presents multiple translations of Asser’s work, with illustrations, an informative introduction and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Asser’s life and works * Features the complete extant text of Asser’s biography, in both English translation and the original Latin * Two English translations of ‘Vita Ælfredi regis Angul Saxonum’: John Allen Giles Translation, 1848; Albert S. Cook, 1905 * Includes the translators’ original hyperlinked footnotes * Concise introduction to the text * Excellent formatting of the texts * Easily locate the sections you want to read with individual contents tables * Provides a special dual English and Latin text, allowing readers to compare the sections paragraph by paragraph — ideal for students * Features two bonus biographies, including Charles Plummer’s seminal study of Alfred the Great CONTENTS: The Translations Brief Introduction to ‘The Life of King Alfred’ John Allen Giles Translation, 1848 Albert S. Cook, Translation, 1905 The Original Text Contents of the Latin Text The Dual Text Dual Latin and English Text The Biographies Asser (1900) The Life and Times of Alfred the Great (1902) by Charles Plummer