Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of ninth-century Northumbria. Orphaned at ten, he is captured and adopted by a Dane and taught the Viking ways. Yet Uhtred's fate is indissolubly bound up with Alfred, King of Wessex, who rules over the only English kingdom to survive the Danish assault. The struggle between the English and the Danes and the strife between christianity and paganism is the background to Uhtred's growing up. He is left uncertain of his loyalties but a slaughter in a winter dawn propels him to the English side and he will become a man just as the Danes launch their fiercest attack yet on Alfred's kingdom. Marriage ties him further still to the West Saxon cause but when his wife and child vanish in the chaos of the Danish invasion, Uhtred is driven to face the greatest of the Viking chieftains in a battle beside the sea. There, in the horror of the shield-wall, he discovers his true allegiance. The Last Kingdom, like most of Bernard Cornwell's books, is firmly based on true history. It is the first novel of a series that will tell the tale of Alfred the Great and his descendants and of the enemies they faced, Viking warriors like Ivar the Boneless and his feared brother, Ubba. Against their lives Bernard Cornwell has woven a story of divided loyalties, reluctant love and desperate heroism. In Uhtred, he has created one of his most interesting and heroic characters and in The Last Kingdom one of his most powerful and passionate novels.
The Last Kingdom (The Warrior Chronicles, Book 1)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Cornwell leaps back a millennium from his Richard Sharpe series to tell of the consolidation of England in the late ninth century and the role played by a young (fictional) warrior-in-training who's at the center of the war between Christian Englishmen and the pagan Danes. (Most of the other principal characters—Ubba, Guthrum, Ivar the Boneless and the like—are real historical figures.) Young Uhtred, who's English, falls under the control of Viking über-warrior Ragnar the Fearless when the Dane wipes out Uhtred's Northumberland family. Cornwell liberally feeds readers history and nuggets of battle data and customs, with Uhtred's first-person wonderment spinning all into a colorful journey of (self-)discovery. In a series of episodes, Ragnar conquers three of England's four kingdoms. The juiciest segment has King Edmund of East Anglia rebuking the Viking pagans and demanding that they convert to Christianity if they intend to remain in England. After Edmund cites the example of St. Sebastian, the Danes oblige him by turning him into a latter-day Sebastian and sending him off to heaven. Uhtred's affection for Ragnar as a surrogate father grows, and he surpasses the conqueror's blood sons in valor. When father and adopted son arrive at the fourth and last kingdom, however, the Danes meet unexpected resistance and Uhtred faces personal and familial challenges, as well as a crisis of national allegiance. This is a solid adventure by a crackling good storyteller.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
An acknowledged master of rousing battlefield fiction as evidenced by his crackling Richard Sharpe series, Cornwell also deserves praise for his mesmerizing narrative finesse and his authentic historical detailing. Here he introduces a new multivolume saga set in medieval England prior to the unification of the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia, and Wessex. Weakened by civil war, Northumbria is invaded by the fearless Danes, and Uhtred, the rightful heir to the earldom of Bebbanburg, is captured by the enemy. Raised as a Viking warrior by Ragnar the Terrible, his beloved surrogate father, Uhtred is still torn by an innate desire to reclaim his birthright. Fighting as a Dane but realizing that his ultimate destiny lies along another path, he seizes the opportunity to serve Alfred, king of Wessex, after Ragnar is horribly betrayed and murdered by Kjartan, a fellow Dane. Ever watchful and ever practical, Uhtred awaits his chance to settle the blood feud with Kjartan and to seize Bebbanburg from his treacherous uncle. Leaving his hero suspended on the threshold of realizing his desires, Cornwell masterfully sets up his audience for the second volume in this irresistible epic adventure. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By J. Cameron-Smith
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
In this, the first of three novels centred on Uhtred, Bernard Cornwell breathes life into 9th century Wessex and the struggle between the (West) Saxons and the Danes. Cornwell's writing style is suited to the action of combat, conflict and intrigue and the images he invokes in my imagination feel very real.
Uhtred moves between the Christian world of Alfred the Great and the pagan world of the Danes. By belonging to neither world, and to both, Uhtred is perfectly placed to take the reader into the conflict for the last of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The story is narrated by Uhtred in his old age and paints a quite different picture of King Alfred (the Great).
This is a struggle between different civilizations, cultures and values. Neither side has a monopoly on righteousness, or on evil. Be warned: if bloodthirsty battle makes you squeamish, this book may not be for you. For myself, I've found a new hero in Uhtred.
Read it, enjoy it - and then read the next in the series!
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Uhtred moves between the Christian world of Alfred the Great and the pagan world of the Danes. By belonging to neither world, and to both, Uhtred is perfectly placed to take the reader into the conflict for the last of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The story is narrated by Uhtred in his old age and paints a quite different picture of King Alfred (the Great).
This is a struggle between different civilizations, cultures and values. Neither side has a monopoly on righteousness, or on evil. Be warned: if bloodthirsty battle makes you squeamish, this book may not be for you. For myself, I've found a new hero in Uhtred.
Read it, enjoy it - and then read the next in the series!
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Zafri M.
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
A for "The Last Kingdom"
This book is one of the better historical fiction novels I've read in recent times. I've been on a fantasy binge, but I decided to try something a little to the side of what I usually read (GRRM, Rothfuss, etc). This book was a great surprise! The narrator is a fascinating character and the first person POV is used extremely well in showing the contrast between the way the Danes and the English think. I look forward to reading the second novel in the series.
This book is one of the better historical fiction novels I've read in recent times. I've been on a fantasy binge, but I decided to try something a little to the side of what I usually read (GRRM, Rothfuss, etc). This book was a great surprise! The narrator is a fascinating character and the first person POV is used extremely well in showing the contrast between the way the Danes and the English think. I look forward to reading the second novel in the series.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A Kid's Review
Format:Hardcover
The last kingdom is an exciting historical narrative of Danes invasion on England. Actually, the entire Saxon series from Bernard Cornwell are quite amazing. His narrative is fascinating, making you feel like you were in the 9th century!
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 245 reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Novel
Very enjoyable read and easy to read as well. I am now continuing to read the complete series of the saga of Uhtred. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Patrick McGinley
5.0 out of 5 stars
A rare gem
For the first time, I have rated a Bernard Cornwell work, 5-stars. I rarely hand out 5-star ratings for books, but by God this book deserves it. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Travis Weir
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Saxon Stories - Volume 1
Bernard Cornwell is in my opinion the best author of historical fictions, and he has lived up to my expectations with The Last Kingdom. Read more
Published on Jan 12 2010 by S. Lavigne
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the one that got me hooked
You don't always remember when you first read the work of a particular author, but in this case, I do. Read more
Published on Mar 12 2007 by Simon Gallimore
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
