The book series it is based on (Saxon Chronicles) does an even better job. It is fiction but Bernard Cornwell does his research. He has his characters talking about Englaland sooner than OP would suggest though; in the novels this was a term Alfred was using as he neared the end of his reign. The novels are told from the perspective of a colorful fictional character but are really the story of Alfred, his defense of Wessex and the making of England by he and his children.