King Alfred the Great, 1956, Series 561

King Alfred was the first title in the 561 series, colourfully written by L du Garde Peach and illustrated by John Kenney.  Early editions were issued with a dustwrapper.

In this colourful telling of the life and times of Alfred, writer L du Garde Peach and artist John Kenney set the tone for the beautiful series of history books (the longest series that Ladybird ever produced) that was to follow.  It was a first-class collaboration between the two men, ended only by the ill-health of both in the 1970s.

If you ever get a chance to see the original artwork of this book, do.  It’s massive – much bigger than most Ladybird artwork –  and really packs a punch.

This copy:

Matt boards.  Excellent condition inside and out – near mint – with nice clean pages.  This copy dates from the late-1960s and has the original price of 2/6 revised to 15p on the back.