They're not actually all dead and gone. I am one, thanks. ENGLISH. ANGELCYNN. And part Irish and proud of that, too. As for English nationalism, well, there's nothing wrong with a bit of that. Everybody else seems quite at liberty to love their own country, I certainly do not see nationalism as a bad thing provided it…

I'll take the straight edger over barbarians who practised the blood eagle and were a little too handy at lopping the heads off priests. In fact, I really do see The Last Kingdom as the Vikings having to suck up the pain they dished out at long last, and yet they were responsible for helping to create England, and…

Because to dislike this character portrayal and accuse him of being sanctimonious - and a "prick", no less - is to miss the point completely. How would you expect a man of learning and some power to be portrayed? He is supposed to be a cut above the rest, and is. And by the way, to use the word "prick" in the terms of…

Study the period my arse!

It's conservative because it's trying to stick to some sort of truth. It's not some frivolous fantasy. If you want that, watch Game of Thrones.

Yes - a product of the English imagination.

This is just an exposition of misunderstanding, and a lack of tolerance for men who can string a sentence together. And in fact, I completely disagree that this depiction of Alfred is problematic. It's a damned fine one.

I am pretty certain that if Alfred was just thinking of being the King of England, he would not have defeated the Vikings. And anyway, as a man with intelligence and insight, he must have known that the odds were stacked strongly against him retaining anything of even Wessex. In effect, though, he already was king…

They were barbaric. There is no escaping that fact. It's still possible to admire them, however, as Alfred did.

I agree with everything you say, although I think advising people not to hero-worship was the least necessary part of your tract. And, after all, there are much worse people to emulate, yet considering I don't have a religious bone in my body, Alfred would no doubt think me heathen.

There is a realism about this series I like. I also like the cinematography. And ok, you can admire the Vikings if you wish, and I used to when I was a kid. But now, when I think of the things they did, I'm not so impressed. Overall, I like the Anglo-Saxons much more. They had a vision. The Vikings did not.

One thing Alfred certainly was not was a ponce! We cannot even begin to imagine how hard he fought against the Scandinavians. And I do think you are mistaking wisdom for arrogance, because this is a brilliant depiction of Alfred. This is a man completely up against it: his back is absolutely against the wall. He has…