The Last Kingdom - Bernard Cornwell

The Last Kingdom (Book 1 of the Saxon Stories) Bernard Cornwell ISBN: 000721801X Paperback released 2005 This is the first book of a series about the Danish invasions of the 9th Century. Told through the eyes of Uhtred Ragnarson (Uhtredson) we are given a glimpse into the life of another warlord, who learns his trade as he lives his life. Uhtred (born Osbert and the second son of Ealdorman Uhtred) is young boy who is suddenly thrust into manhood when the Vikings invade Northumbria and kill his brother and also his father. He is captured by a Danish Lord, called Ragnar, and is brought up by him, whilst his uncle usurps his title as ...  Read the complete review

The Last Kingdom is the first book in a new trilogy by Bernard Cornwell about Saxon and Norse Britain at the time of Alfred the Great (9th Century). The other two books in the series are Pale Horseman (see my earlier review) and Lords of the North (just released, so watch this space for review). For those of you unfamiliar with the work of Cornwell, he is a prolific writer of fiction, predominately historical fiction in which he intertwines his characters and their story with actual historical events. He is probably best know for his Sharpe series (21 books) which was serialised by ITV and stared Sean Bean, the books however are much better and he has been described as ...  Read the complete review