This small book is about one of the great figures of history. Alfred the Great was king of Wessex—the southern part of present-day England—from 871 until his death in 899, during a period often called the “Dark Ages,” though per- haps better called the early Middle Ages. This foundational moment of European history is not famous for its contribu-tions to human development and is increasingly neglected in schools and universities. The period began with the col-lapse of Roman rule in the west in the fifth century. It was a difficult time, when people lived through rapid economic decline, falling living standards, social fragmentation, and an international order rooted in violence. Across the fol-lowing centuries a handful of rulers attempted to restore something like the old order, and others attempted to cre-ate something new. One of these was Alfred. Alfred fought against Vikings who wished to overrun his country, but his response was not only to fight back on the battlefield, but to surround himself with the greatest minds that he could find, at home and abroad. Alfred's cultural renewal inspired his contemporaries, and left a legacy in the area of law, literature, and education that underpins many of our global society's highest aspirations to this day. Alfred's Wessex was not Baghdad under Harun al-Rashid, or Italy in the Trecento; his resources were far more limited, but his vision was also great. This book tells Alfred's story, but does so in the awareness that he has been the object of historical study for more than a thousand years, and any book about him could easily be thousands of pages long. Furthermore, many of the historical sources for Alfred's reign are closely associated with his court or that of his successors, and historians have noted their polemical character. With what I hope is due caution, I have focused on these primary sources in the account that follows. In particular these are the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (the Chronicle) and Asser's Life of King Alfred. I have aimed to be concise rather than omit details in offering a new reading of aspects of Alfred's life. The first chapter explores the genesis of the Alfredian legend and tries to understand his early life. The second chapter is concerned chiefly with his wars with the Vikings and his role in redefining England. The final chapter reconsiders Alfred's contribution to English literary history.