Interview with Michael Wood on Alfred the Great and the Vikings in 878

This week we are travelling back to the ninth century to witness one of the major turning points in English history.
Winston Churchill regularly tops ‘the greatest Briton of all time’ charts, but his own vote for this accolade apparently went to the man we are going to discuss today.
Alfred ‘the Great’ is the only English monarch to enjoy such an admiring epithet. Æthelred is remembered as ‘the Unready’ (although this meant poorly advised rather than unprepared), William I is either ‘the conqueror’ or ‘the bastard’ depending on your point of view - no other monarch’s reputation has survived with a rosy glow.
Our time travel today in the company of the world-renowned historian Michael Wood reveals exactly why Alfred is so well thought of. He takes us back to 878, a pivotal year in our history when, against all the odds, the Viking invaders were defeated, pushed out of Alfred’s kingdom of Wessex and the geopolitics were set for the following centuries.
Michael Wood’s In Search of the Dark Ages: a History of Anglo-Saxon England 40th anniversary edition, is newly published by BBC Books.
As ever, for more about this episode, head over to our website: www.tttpodcast.com
Show notes
Scene One: March 23rd Easter at Athelney, after Alfred’s desperate guerrilla war in the Somerset marshes.
Scene Two: 9th May, the Battle of Edington, Alfred defeats the Viking forces against all odds.
Scene Three: 26th June Treaty at Wedmore which changed the course of the Viking wars and resulted in their leader, Guthrum converting to Christianity with Alfred as his godfather.
Memento: Alfred’s little commonplace book that he carried around with him, and perhaps had with him in the marshes.
People/Social
Presenter: Violet Moller
Guest: Michael Wood
Production: Maria Nolan
Podcast partner: Ace Cultural Tours
Follow us on Twitter: @tttpodcast_

[@katescrimgeour3884]

I 100% agree with Violet - I could listen to Michael Wood talk all day - he should do a Complete History of England ... and I'd listen to every minute of it. His passion and knowledge of his subject makes for thoroughly enjoyable listening. Thanks TTT. And.... I just bought his book. 😀

[@drstrangelove4998]

A terrific interview, but too many adverts.

[@ben-jam-in6941]

I didn’t have many adverts at all. I Cast the videos from KZbin on my phone to my Chromecast tv and I’m starting to think I see less adds than if I watch just on my phone screen. Why idk but it’s nice.

[@nigelsouthworth5577]

Gosh, I just found this. Thanks so much you two.

[@keith19934]

I really enjoyed this. Thanks for the post.

[@IronSmithReviews]

This was a joy to listen to 🙂. Professor Wood's work was one of the main reasons I studied the Post-Roman period at University. I even wrote a dissertation on Asser & Alfred. I owe him a great deal for igniting my love of history. A fantastic interview.

[@kevcaratacus9428]

I love listening to prof wood. Especially about the late roman( and saxon eras. Such a clever man.

[@asia8397]

Właśnie czytam książkę M.Wooda "In Search of The Dark Ages" wydaną przez BBC Books w 2022. Jest wspaniała! Jest tam sporo materiału o Alfredzie Wielkim i Wikingach. Profesor ma znakomity styl: jasny, prosty a przez to zrozumiały. Polecam. 🌹

[@zielfab.maslin1507]

I am truly fascinated with Alfred the Great and his successors in the development of England. Michael Wood is such an excellent story teller.

[@FiveLiver]

2:39 Michael Wood comes in - eventually.

[@ben-jam-in6941]

I’m a huge fan of every Micheal Wood made documentary I’ve seen. I think In Search of the Trojan War is an absolute masterpiece and if it’s first in my eyes then In Search of the Dark Ages is a very close second. I would love to see Micheal (or anyone if he didn’t) do a documentary about Cnut the Great and the short lived North Sea Empire. Cnut is very interesting with him going from pillaging, burning, and really being a torment to the people while trying to gain the crown.. then surprisingly turning out to be quite a darn good King once he does. Cnut has no documentaries that I know of and for him to be one of the few leaders throughout history with the title “The Great” that’s surprising and a travesty.

[@bookaufman9643]

Michael Wood is my favorite history documentarian and just the idea that he's made for documentaries on China that I reflect to see is both wonderful and kind of heartbreaking I saw the first series but if yet to see any other series or even individual documentaries that he's done on the subject now I've got to start figuring out how to get them. What am amazing career he's had as a BBC presenter and history documentarian.

[@youarefreetodoaswetellyou1371]

They are on youtube. The cradle of civilization is the Iraq /mesopotamia episode. Also his series on south america is amazing and also on youtube. Conquistadors

[@louiseedwards29]

Absolutely fascinating.

[@kelleycavan6911]

Very interesting, thanks

[@KarlKarsnark]

11:28 the "man of African race", was a White, Ginger Berber. Surely, Mr. Wood doesn't think there is, or ever has been "an African race", by which he means to imply "Black", of course. No, surely Michael wouldn't try to make such a tacit implication, surely. "Africa" (i.e. North Africa) had been Mediterranean/"European" for MILLENNIA by the time of Alfred.

[@dangerousdave85]

He said that Bede said that. According to Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People (completed in 731), Hadrian was ‘vir natione Afir’ (translated as 'a man of African race' by Bertram Colgrave and R.A.B. Mynors), who spoke both Greek and Latin.

[@KarlKarsnark]

@@dangerousdave85 Yes, "Africa" being the Mediterranean coastal regions. "Africa" is not ad has never been synonymous with "Black", nor "Black" with African. It's just Leftist Newspeak that implies, lies by omission and hopes to distort the facts for the sake of the "Narrative".

[@golgumbazguide...4113]

Explore Golgumbaz with Guide Jahangir

[@chadgun4135]

very good but to many ads

[@FiveLiver]

Use the Opera browser and an ad blocker

[@davemillwall5420]

Amazing, it's a shame that politics was brought into it. The era of Alfred, the waves of people incoming to the Island of Britain and what is now England were Europeans, there's not much difference. It's very different to what is coming into the UK now.

[@neilfarrow1535]

"People forget that we were part of the Roman Empire"...., er, how many people did the Romans kill, crucify, enslave, and rape to achieve that? Are you seriously using that as an argument? However, otherwise what a great podcast.

[@youarefreetodoaswetellyou1371]

Not as many as the british empire. Just recently released report on brits in India from 1890 to 1920 over 2 million people raped, robbed, murdered. The irish famine, a genocide by the brit hun killed 25% of the population. The mau mau in Kenya. The people of Diego garcia. Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and of course the creation and help to create a zionist mass murdering state in Palestine. Otherwise a great comment on a good podcast.

[@si4632]

Thank the lord the Romans turned up 🙂

[@voraciousreader3341]

It takes a weird kind of figurative b@lls to cut into Mr. Wood’s narrative so many times, and to talk over him when he’s making important observations. I won’t be listening to other offerings, I’m thinking.

[@scottmclaren3928]

Stop saying British. I am pretty sure Alfred isn't the the Greatest person in Scotland,wales or Northern Ireland. Typical .

[@youarefreetodoaswetellyou1371]

Thank god for us he got away from current affairs.