Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780007218011
ISBN: 000721801X
Label: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Number Of Pages: 496
Publication Date: October 03, 2005
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Studio: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.co.uk Review:
Does the fact that the The Last Kingdom inaugurates yet another series from Bernard Cornwell fill you with anticipation--or trepidation? His immensely popular Sharpe novels are, of course, the bedrock of the author's popularity. But when readers learned that he was to abandon the redoubtable Sharpe for a Grail Quest series, there were those who invoked the `if isn't broke, why fix it?' rule. However, when Cornwell proved himself equally adept at conjuring a world of knights and savage combat, his Grail Quest series (the first book of which was Harlequin) soon established itself as another Cornwell winner.

And here's yet another series from the protean writer. Do we really need it? Yes, we do--it's a safe bet that The Last Kingdom will prove that the author is seemingly capable of beginning an endless run of new novel sequences. As well as the impeccably plotted narrative, Cornwell has other fish to fry here: nothing less than a totally fresh look at a historical figure we think we know: Alfred the Great. Cornwell's protagonist is Uhtred, caught in the conflict between the Danes and the English in the ninth century. He is born into the English aristocracy, but loses his parents at the age of ten and is raised in Viking fashion by a Dane. When massacres reign down on both sides, Uhtred is torn between his loyalties--and when his family disappears, a reckoning with a Viking chieftain is in the offing.

Behind all this is the King, Alfred: complex, conflicted, and by no means the figure that the conventional history books render him. All of the customary Cornwell virtues are fully on display here.--Barry Forshaw




Rating: - Cornwell does it again
If you read my other reviews you will know I am a huge Cornwell fan, especially Sharpe. Having nearly finished all the Sharpe novels and the Grail Quest trilogy it was time to give these a try. I was wondering if I would start to get bored with his style as Grail Quest was Sharpe in the middle ages, however this was sufficiently different to keep me interested. This book as per usual is historically acurate, good entertainment, and written in such a narrative way as to think you are reading the diary ... Read More

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Rating: - Cornwell just gets better and better
Excellent. Bernard Cornwell at his very best. Discussing the formation of the first Kingdom of England by the future King Alfred the Great, Cornwell adds glamour to an already tumultuous past, showing life from Danish eyes and from Saxon views. Eternally anti-Christian, the book is more enjoyable than his previous warlord series.

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Rating: - Pure Gold!
Over the years I've read several of Bernard Cornwell's novels and, by and large, have enjoyed them. "The Last Kingdom," however, is in a different league, combining a sound grasp of history with a storyline that is simply superb. The book tells the story of Uhtred, Ealdorman of Northumbria, dispossed by his uncle and brought up by Danes, who, more by way of fate than choice, becomes a warrior for Alfred of Wessex.

The strength of the novel, for me, lies in the way Cornwell conjures up the ... Read More

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Rating: - The Horrible, the Boneless and the Fearless
"The Last Kingdom" is set in ninth century England and sees a Northumbrian nobleman called Uhtred look back to the early part of his life. Uhtred's father, also called Uhtred, was the Ealdorman of a region between the Trent and the Tyne. The family home is called Bebbanburg, a practically impregnable fortress. Although the family are good Christians, the Wolf Banner flies from the fortress - claiming the family's descent from Woden, the Saxon God of War. Since England was made up of several kingdoms at ... Read More

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Rating: - FANTASTIC, AMAZING, YOU MUST READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!
In a clash of heroes, a kingdom is born, and that kingdom is England. This story is based on real events and exellent research. Set in the 9th century this tells the story of England in the making when the 4 Christian Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England were struggling for survival against the Pagan Vikings. This tells the story of Uhtred,a 10yr old english kid who is destined to be King Alfred's greatest warrior. At the age of 10 Uhtred's family is slaughtered by Vikings and he is raised as a Pagan and trained ... Read More

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