Alfred the Great is a rare historical figure from the early Middle Ages, in that he retains a popular image. This book provides a reassessment of the famous ruler of Wessex, informed by current scholarship, both on the king as a man in history, and the king as a subsequent legendary construct. Daniel Anlezark presents Alfred in his historical context, seen through Asser's Life, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, and other texts, and explores how this ninth-century king of Wessex came to be considered the "Great" king of legend.