G. K. Chesterton’s The Ballad of the White Horse (1911) is a stirring epic ballad recounting King Alfred the Great’s unlikely victory over the Danish invaders at the Battle of Ethandune. Written in vigorous, musical stanzas, it blends historical legend with Chesterton’s characteristic Christian heroism and love of paradox.
Long cherished as one of the finest narrative poems of the twentieth century, this ballad rewards reading aloud as much as silent contemplation. This free EPUB preserves all eight books of the poem with verse spacing intact.