The Dragon and the Raven: King Alfred, or Alfred the Great ruled various parts of England from 871 when he was about 23 years old to 899, when he died at 51, a period of 28 years. Alfred fought invasions by the Danish Vikings from the first day of his reign until two or three years before he died, defeating them repeatedly, and even signing a peace treaty in 879 or 880, none of which stopped the invasions. In 896 or 897, the Vikings gave up. Into this history, Henty weaves the adventures of Edmund, a young Saxon royal who fights in all of Alfred's battles, winning fame and finding romance along the way.
George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 16 November 1902), was a prolific English novelist and a special correspondent. He is best known for his historical adventure stories that were popular in the late 19th century. His works include The Dragon & The Raven (1886), For The Temple (1888), Under Drake's Flag (1883) and In Freedom's Cause (1885).