‘England’S Darling’ : The Victorian Cult of Alfred the Great Paperback / softback
by Joanne (Associate Professor of Victorian Literature and Culture) Parker
Paperback / softback
- Information
Description
For much of the nineteenth century, King Alfred was as important as King Arthur in the British popular imagination.
A pervasive cult of the King developed which included the erection of at least four public statues, the completion of more than twenty-five paintings, and the publication of over a hundred texts, by authors ranging from Wordsworth to minor women writers.
By 1852, J.A. Froude could describe Alfred’s life as ‘the favourite story in English nurseries’; in 1901, a national holiday marked the thousandth anniversary of his death, organised by a committee including Edward Burne Jones, Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hughes.
The book examines the ways in which Alfred was rewritten by nineteenth-century authors and artists, and asks how beliefs about the Saxon king’s reign and achievements related to nineteenth-century ideals about leadership, law, religion, commerce, education and the Empire.
The book concludes by addressing the most interesting enigma in Alfred’s reception history: why is the king no longer ‘England’s darling’?A fascinating study that will be enjoyed by scholars of history, cultural history, literature and art history. -- .
Information
-
In Stock - low on stock, only 1 copy remainingFree UK DeliveryEstimated delivery 2-3 working days
- Format:Paperback / softback
- Pages:264 pages, Illustrations, black & white
- Publisher:Manchester University Press
- Publication Date:31/05/2014
- Category:
- ISBN:9780719073571
Information
-
In Stock - low on stock, only 1 copy remainingFree UK DeliveryEstimated delivery 2-3 working days
- Format:Paperback / softback
- Pages:264 pages, Illustrations, black & white
- Publisher:Manchester University Press
- Publication Date:31/05/2014
- Category:
- ISBN:9780719073571