I love all things British—all things traditionally British. Picking up Benjamin Merkle’s The White Horse King, I really didn’t know what to expect. I had never heard of a King Alfred, much less one that involved the British Isles. To my delight, the book was really good! I learned all about Viking and Anglo-Saxon’s warring development. I also saw the way that England was formed as a singular nation-state. The in depth, yet basic descriptions brought to my mind the ever present need for quality, educated leadership. I was left impressed and inspired.
As with most nation’s pre-formal unification, the Anglo-Saxon area had many divisions. There were multiple regions with no standing army, leaving the areas wealth easily attacked. Alfred faced the onslaughts of raging Vikings, lost his throne, fled to the woods, and came out in secret attacks. He then arranged the armies in a large enough way to take back his throne, organize for a standing army and unofficial police force ensuring proper defense.
In the years of peace that followed, Alfred was able to use his studies of the humanities to spear head education and to raise the first navy. All of this in feudal times with viking threats!
If you are looking for an exciting, fast paced read that will cause you to think about leadership, this book is for you!
