tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post9049012034825438082..comments2024-03-23T12:38:46.260+00:00Comments on The History Girls: The Legend That Is... by Sue PurkissMary Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-79172863576311224272013-05-17T10:03:08.013+01:002013-05-17T10:03:08.013+01:00What a glorious post about an admirable hero. Good...What a glorious post about an admirable hero. Good points of comparison too.Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-48625298855708801812013-05-17T08:22:38.293+01:002013-05-17T08:22:38.293+01:00Weren't those Ladybird books great, Jean? I ha...Weren't those Ladybird books great, Jean? I had the one on Queen Elizabeth, and I read it and copied the pictures over and over again. Mine disappeared too, but I was lucky enough to find another in Hay-on-Wye a few years ago. But yes - DO read mine! And then you could go to see some of the marvellous places mentioned in it, as I did when I was writing it. (though not Rome, sadly, which Alfred visited as a child.<br /><br />Alfred did defeat and then convert Guthrum, his major enemy. But there were still lots of other bands around; and the Danes lived to the east, in the Danelaw - so they certainly maintained a huge presence and influence. But if Alfred had been defeated and killed, I think there can be no doubt that England would have developed very differently. Who can tell what effect that would have had - on the development of America, for instance? I'm not suggesting that would have been a bad thing, but it would certainly be a different one!Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-91992349632081219002013-05-17T08:10:07.891+01:002013-05-17T08:10:07.891+01:00My very first Ladybird book was about King Alfred....My very first Ladybird book was about King Alfred. I've just looked online and I can't find the same edition - I'll just have to read yours!Jean Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04805479454940218153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-51549293731727128452013-05-16T21:46:52.941+01:002013-05-16T21:46:52.941+01:00I fell in love with Alfred (in a purely platonic w...I fell in love with Alfred (in a purely platonic way, of course) when I studied Anglo-Saxon for my Eng Lit degree. He did much to promote the English language.<br /><br />And to add to what Leslie Wilson wrote: living in a remote-ish area of Yorkshire, I can vouch for the Danish influence in place names and words such as garth , gyll, beck and keld. So I have a soft spot for the Danish, too. They were no more bloody-thirsty than the early Angles and Saxons. I think I am descended from both.Sally Zigmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07520579251842006765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-4292480354713107632013-05-16T19:47:13.245+01:002013-05-16T19:47:13.245+01:00Lovely blog - of course there is some significance...Lovely blog - of course there is some significance in the fact that both kings were renowned for 'turning back the tide' of invasion - only, as you say, Alfred was more successful. However - I shall be blogging about this next week - in some parts of the country, we do speak Norse, like 'bairn' ('barn') and 'fell' for a mountain, and 'dale' for a valley, and so on. Though I guess dale is probably not dissimilar to Anglo-Saxon for valley, since it is cognate with German 'tal' and Vallee is a French word.. But wasn't it Alfred's achievement that he came to an accommodation with the Danes, converted them, and so on? Sorry, I ought to go back and re-read your excellent book, which I do have..Leslie Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15105465949970430998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-58745234555190614172013-05-16T16:43:36.692+01:002013-05-16T16:43:36.692+01:00Thanks, Sue!Thanks, Sue!Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-26536683734368502552013-05-16T14:00:47.389+01:002013-05-16T14:00:47.389+01:00Here, here! - from another big fan of Alfred. Good...Here, here! - from another big fan of Alfred. Good luck with the e-book!Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-20755751331263425272013-05-16T13:11:41.467+01:002013-05-16T13:11:41.467+01:00ooh, thank you for buying my book, Marjorie, and I...ooh, thank you for buying my book, Marjorie, and I'd love to hear what you think of it! Yes, he did arrange for texts to be translated so people could read them in English. And that bit from 1066 really sums up the confusion - thanks!Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-53331457417938024212013-05-16T12:14:00.521+01:002013-05-16T12:14:00.521+01:00I live close to Stourhead so I recognised the towe...I live close to Stourhead so I recognised the tower straight away.<br /><br />Wasn't Alfred the one who arranged for translations of a lot of Greek and Latin texts? Or am I imagining that?<br /><br />(I'm also reminded of <i>1066 and all that</i> "Alfred ought never to be confused with King Arthur, equally memorable but probably non-existent and therefore perhaps less important historically (unless he did exist)")<br /><br />I like the sound of your book - just bought it :-)Marjoriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09234975039675044712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-24030443271576659302013-05-16T11:19:58.230+01:002013-05-16T11:19:58.230+01:00Fantastic! I never knew all that...good luck with ...Fantastic! I never knew all that...good luck with your ebook, too! Thanks for the post.adelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15826710558292792068noreply@blogger.com