William Henry Stevenson, ed.
Oxford University Press (Clarendon Press), 1998 (reprint of 1959 edition).
cloth, dj.
Book Number 19829
Asser (born c.909), Bishop of Sherborne, joined the court of Alfred as a scholar in about 885, and became the Kingís friend, teacher and biographer. His "Life of Alfred" was completed in 893, some years before the King's death, and although a very biased portrait - Asser presents Alfred as a paragon of kingly and manly virtue - it is unique in providing information about Alfred's early life and non-military activities. Published in 1906, Stevenson's critical edition established the Latin text, provided copious annotation and put forward arguments for the workís authenticity - now accepted as beyond dispute. An article by Dorothy Whitelock outlines research on the Asser controversy since Stevenson's first edition.