Ranulf, Earl of Wealdhampton, returns home to Wessex, to find that the Vikings are raiding as far as the south of England, and the people are terrified. Hope exists in the form of King Alfred, whom many had presumed dead. Alfred is striving to unite the various tribes to form a common front against the seemingly unstopable foe. Jeffery Farnol wrote this book during the early frightening days of World War Two, when Britain faced a Nazi invasion. It was his rallying call. He based the book on a certain amount of historical research into the ninth century. The stilted language, which was meant to suggest a translation of a real 9th century chronicle, may be an obstacle to some readers; however, the unusual setting (England during the middle ages) and the pace (a "ripping yarn") make the book well worth the effort.