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During his reign (871-899), King Alfred revolutionized the governance of Wessex, greatly advancing the process that would culminate two generations later, in the creation of the kingdom of England. His succes in fighting the Vikings not only saved Wessex from conquest but kept Britain from becoming one more outlier of Scandinavia. His administrative and military innovations provided his son and grandsons with the tools to conquer the Danelaw, and established a precocious royal administration that shaped the governance of medieval England. The spiritual and literary renaissance he spearheaded helped create a tradition of vernacular learning that would blossom in later generations. This book offers an analysis of Alfred's achievement and thought. In doing so it illuminates the character and meaning of Anglo-Saxon kingship in general, as well as the particular career of this king.