Alfred was the only English king to ever be given the title 'Great'. Why? He successfully defended Britain from wave after wave of Viking invaders, formed the first English army and navy, encouraged English people to talk in their mother tongue and set up the beginnings of a renowned, progressive legal system.

Suitable for readers aged 8+, each book in History Starting Points explores the life and times of a key historical figure, from Alfred the Great to Hatshepsut. It tells the story of the subject's life, using vital primary source material, such as what contemporary people wrote about the figure. Alongside this, each book builds up a vivid picture of the historical era in which the person lived, from Anglo-Saxon Britain to the civilisations of ancient Greece and Egypt. Included throughout are cross-curricular links to other key subject areas such as literacy, science or geography, and the text is supported by cartoon, myths and legends and fun craft projects to make.

This book is part of a book series called History Starting Points .

This book is aimed at children in primary school.

There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published 2018 by Hachette Children's Group .

David Gill is an ex-headteacher with many years' experience. He believes passionately in making history for young readers exciting.

This book has the following chapters:

• 1: Meet King Alfred the Great
• 2: Alfred's life story
• 3: Alfred visits Rome
• 4: Fighting the Vikings
• 5: Alfred and the cakes
• 6: The growth of towns
• 7: Alfred the Great learner
• 8: Beowulf
• 9: Christians and pagans
• 10: Alfred's law
• 11: Alfred's end and legacy
• 12: Alfred's children
• 13: How do we know?
• 14: Timeline
• 15: Glossary and quiz
• 16: Index and answers