# Historical Novels (&etc) from the time of King Ethelwulf, Alfred, other pre-Normans **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271 "2007-06-16T18:07:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/1 "2007-06-16T18:07:21Z")
Despite being a yankee, I’ve got a decent sense of dramatic historical happenings in Olde England, some of which is of the dry factual variety and some of which has been the backbone of several historical novels and historical romances. Richard versus Henry. Elizabeth and Mary. Richard the Lion-Hearted and his brother John. But with the exception of King Arthur (still mostly considered legendary rather than historical, yes?), I’ve read no historical novels set among the royals and their allies and opponents in the era before William the Conqueror. As for the dry history part, scarcely more than a mention that they existed and what order they came in. Is it that records of what-all happened prior to the Norman Conquest were not well-kept after William and his associated took over the scene? And/or that records of things that happened that long ago are too thin to build much on? Or can someone point me to some pre-Norman drama, thrilling stories fiction or nonfiction? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/2 "2007-06-16T18:18:23Z")
Does Ivanhoe count? I couldn’t get past page five, but it was definitely medieval and Sir Walter Scott liked to write historical fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/3 "2007-06-16T18:44:46Z")
_Ivanhoe_ probably not, being post-Norman and all. I seem to remember a book about the death of a king whose name started with that weird “AE” mixed together letter, but it might not have been fiction. The _Tain_ may be from about that era, but it’s Irish. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/4 "2007-06-16T18:47:32Z")
It may have been period, but it didn’t involve the throne-occupying folks or their cohort as main or supporting characters, did it? ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/5 "2007-06-16T18:58:57Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] It may have been period, but it didn’t involve the throne-occupying folks or their cohort as main or supporting characters, did it? [/QUOTE] The _Tain_? Had nothing to do with England or the Norman invasion at all, but is about throne-type people. I just mentioned it as the only story I can think of (besides the Arthurian legends) based in the that time and almost-place. Dang it, the other book wasn’t about Aethelred I don’t think. I’ll keep looking. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/6 "2007-06-16T19:09:54Z")
Parke Godwin did some historical (mildly) fiction of the time. Give that name a search and see what you come up with. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/7 "2007-06-16T21:09:02Z")
[This site](http://www.waterborolibrary.org/bklisth.htm#histeur) has a wealth of links to other historical fiction sites with lists of titles, sorted by sub-genre (historical romance, historical mystery, etc.). I would have searched for you, but I had to get out of there before I started buying books. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/8 "2007-06-16T21:52:18Z")
Melvyn Bragg’s _Credo_ is set in the 7th century, IIRC. (Involves the Synod of Whitby - important event, historically speaking.) Can’t remember any others off the top of my head, though there’s got to be something out there about Alfred the Great, I’m sure … ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/9 "2007-06-16T22:10:07Z")
I have a copy of _The Last Kingdom_ by Bernard Cornwell that I haven’t finished in my bookcase. It’s set in the late 800’s with Alfred the Great as the hero. Cornwell has written many other books set in that general era, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/10 "2007-06-16T23:54:05Z")
Guy Gavriel Kay’s _The Last Light of the Sun_ is set in a fictionalized version of Anglo-Saxon / Celtic Britain. He doesn’t use the names of real historical figures, but the king is recognizably based on Alfred. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/11 "2007-06-17T01:04:45Z")
They’re older books, but as far as historical novels go, you might want to check out Alfred Duggan’s “Conscence of the King” (about Cerdic and the founding of Wessex), “The Cunning of the Dove”, about Edward the Confessor, and “The King of Athelney” and “The Right Line of Cerdic”, both about Alfred the Great. You also might want to check out his “The Little Emperors”, which is really more about the end of Roman Britain, so a little before the period you want. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/12 "2007-06-17T02:09:06Z")
C. Walter Hodges wrote _The namesake_ and _The marsh king_, both about Alfred the Great. He probably wrote others too, but I’m not familiar with them. Rosemary Sutcliff has written lots of historical fiction, quite a lot of which takes place in pre-Norman Britain. I think there’s a whole series of Roman British stories. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/13 "2007-06-17T04:20:50Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] Rosemary Sutcliff has written lots of historical fiction, quite a lot of which takes place in pre-Norman Britain. I think there’s a whole series of Roman British stories. [/QUOTE] I came in here to mention Rosemary Sutcliff. Really well written, fun stuff. I had quite a thing for Alfred (the only British king titled “The Great”) as a teenager, and I managed to find quite a lot. I can’t remember any titles now, though. I tried the Cornwell books, and couldn’t stand them. I never managed to get through more than the first couple of chapters. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/14 "2007-06-17T04:29:37Z")
Parke Godwin wrote [Firelord](http://www.amazon.com/Firelord-Parke-Godwin/dp/0380775514/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7551893-1248007?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182054391&sr=1-1), which is one of my favorite books of all time. It’s still about King Arthur, but it places Arthur in a more historical context and takes away the magic and sorcery. Beautiful book, though it can be hard to find. I was going to recommend Thomas Costain’s four-volume “Pageant of England,” but those start after the Plantagenets take control. ---
**Author:** ![meenie7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@meenie7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meenie7)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/15 "2007-06-17T08:26:35Z")
[The Breath of Kings by Gene Farrington](http://www.amazon.com/Breath-Kings-Gene-Farrington/dp/0385159730/ref=sr_1_1/002-0939507-7244820?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182068523&sr=8-1) was a book I really liked as a teenager about the period leading up to the Danish conquest of England, with Edward the Confessor, King Cnute, and other Dark Age types in it. I remember being totally fascinated by a scene where a person with a toothache lit a candle under it, on the premise that it would draw out the worms infecting the tooth and make him feel better. (Ouch.) ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/16 "2007-06-17T21:00:30Z")
Henry Treece (1911-1966) wrote a number of pre-Norman set historical novels: _Red Queen, White Queen_ (Boudicca), \*The Golden Strangers \* (the Celtic invasion of Britain), \*The Great Captains \* (Arthur) and \*The Dark Island \* (Roman Invasion) being the most well-known. Speaking of the Romans, Keith Roberts’ (1935-2000) one and only historical novel _The Boat of Fate_ is about the Romans leaving Britain and I recommend it highly. Richard Herley’s _Pagans Trilogy_ is set in neolithic Britain as is Bernard Cornwell’s _Stonehenge._ ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/17 "2007-06-17T21:02:09Z")
[QUOTE=Sefton] Parke Godwin wrote [Firelord](http://www.amazon.com/Firelord-Parke-Godwin/dp/0380775514/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7551893-1248007?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182054391&sr=1-1), which is one of my favorite books of all time. It’s still about King Arthur, but it places Arthur in a more historical context and takes away the magic and sorcery. Beautiful book, though it can be hard to find.QUOTE] _Beloved Exile_ is the sequel - Guinevere amongst the Saxons. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-novels-etc-from-the-time-of-king-ethelwulf-alfred-other-pre-normans/408271/18 "2007-06-17T22:23:06Z")
::scribbles down lots of book suggestions:: Thanks!