# The rise of Alfred the Great

An episode of [HistoryExtra podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/256580326), 11 Apr 2026, 44 min.

Audio: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/NSR4880860730.mp3?updated=1775143907

As the Viking Great Heathen Army refused to leave Anglo-Saxon England, the pressure mounted on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to respond, placing the future of the land in the hands of Alfred the Great. In this second episode of our four-part Sunday Series on the Viking invasion of ninth-century England, James Osborne and historian Dr Eleanor Barraclough explore the regions overrun by Viking forces and the rise of Alfred the Great amid the collapse of Anglo-Saxon resistance. ––––– GO BEYOND THE PODCAST To deepen your understanding of this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history, James Osborne has selected some essential reading and listening from our archives: https://bit.ly/412VTIB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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