Author(s): G K Chesterton

Writing

One of the last great epic poems, this ballad tells the tale of Alfred the Great's unlikely victory - with the assistance of the Virgin Mary - over Gunthrum and the Danes at the Battle of Ethandune. A Catholic allegory relying more upon legends than historical facts, this chronicle of Alfred's triumph is often considered Chesterton's greatest literary achievement. This title is a reprint of the Methuen & Co., London, 1911 edition.