The Last Kingdom (The Last Kingdom Series, Book 1)

By Bernard Cornwell

BBC2’s major TV series THE LAST KINGDOM is based on Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling novels on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. The Last Kingdom is the first book in the series.

Season 2 of the epic TV series premiers this March.

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 tells 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jul 24, 2009
• ISBN: 9780007338818

Bernard Cornwell

BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

Reviews for The Last Kingdom (The Last Kingdom Series, Book 1)

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this story better than the Sharpe series, and it's almost as good as his pleasant Stonehenge novel. The dispossessed Northumbrian, created, I'm sure with Sean Bean in mind, roaming the desolate landscape of England when Wessex was the last holdout against the Danes, is a fine vessel for Cornwell's ideas. It is a fine adventure novel.It was copyright in 2005.

[liz.mabry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved it! Definitely going to keep reading the series.

[karenleefield · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I've read/listened to by Bernard Cornwell. The reason? I'm not a great lover of "the great battle scene" and I've always felt the author would go there. Now I know for certain that he does. But...listening to battle scenes is much different to reading them. And listening to battle scenes in this story was a new experience for me. A good experience.I enjoyed the story and the characters. I know it was based on history, how much so I don't know, but it was well written. I must admit that I found it difficult to keep track of the characters because of their strange (similar sounding) names. However, I worked out the ones that matter and became totally engrossed in the plot.The other thing that surprised me was the realisation that I don't read many books written by men. It has never been intentional, but during this book I discovered I liked the different style of writing I found here. It's hard to explain, but for me, it was a nice change of pace. It was gritty, no holding back, masculine. Don't mess with me. Simply gripping. I will be listening too the next two books for sure.

[voodooyeager · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is amazing. If you are a fan of the historical battles between the Saxons and the Danes, this book is for you. Cornwell paints a stark picture of life during the time of the Viking invasions into Great Britain. Couple that with the life of one confused boy who is torn between his birthright and the people who accepted him as their own.

[renardkitsune · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

About ten years ago, I read Stonehenge by Cornwell, and loved it. So, I was very excited to read this book. This is everything I like! The Anglo-Saxon period England and the Vikings/Danes are very fun to read about. And it is a good book with an interesting storyline, but I found myself flagging in the middle, and put it down for a while to read other things, until I told myself I could not read another book until I finished it. I was disappointed by the lack of detail. If you are going to write a series, you might as well put a lot of detail in it! I also felt like there was not a lot of character development. Brida had the potential to be a really interesting character, but then Cornwell all but wrote her out of the story! Also Uhtred bouncing back and forth, am Danish, no I’m British, but I’m still good friends with the Danes, was confusing.When I finished to book, however, and read Cornwall’s Historical note at the end about how his ancestors held Bebbanburg and how he was trying to keep it as historically accurate as possible while still being interesting, I liked it more. I feel like he was sort of hemmed in for his story telling by the historical accuracy he has, while still being creative. I’m not sure why we don’t just have the book from Alfred’s point of view, except that having Uhtred gives us the background of the Danes invading England from a first-person perspective.Late in the book, and Englishman asks Uhtred why he fought with the Danes, and Uhtred replies “I fought to survive” So maybe him fighting with the Danes, and then siding with the British but still being friendly with the Danes is not that he has no character development, or that he is not loyal, but he is just doing what he needs to for survival. I think real people are more likely to switch sides and be unsure of their loyalties that is sometimes portrayed in books.

[mandy.rasmussen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely LOVE anything to do with history. Especially books. So anybody who knows me will not be surprised that I found The Last Kingdom really interesting. This book is the first in a series that tells of the exciting (yes it is exciting, - sword fights and all!) of the making of England during the 9th and 10th centuries. This was a period that the Danish Vikings were attacking the English and had captured most of their kingdoms.The author, Bernard Cornwell, was able to get the information for this series of books through his own family records. Seriously... how cool is that?!?! Netflix even made a series based on the books back in 2016! Of course I'm one of those people that has to read all the books before I can watch the show so it'll be a while before I can watch it. I can't wait though, so now I have to hurry and read the rest of the series!If you enjoy history then I'd recommend reading this book. Cornwell does an incredible job of making what could be a dry subject (since it's from such a long time ago) be super interesting. There's sword fights, kidnappings, murders, and definitely wars - the whole book is talking about wars . During the narrative, everything is explained from the perspective of a young man (he grows from a boy to a teenager in the book) named Uhtred, who is fictional.

[sheiladeeth_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First in the Saxon Chronicles, Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom vividly recreates a land under threat of Danish invasion and colonization, as seen through the eyes of a young Northumbrian. The voice is convincing as protagonist Uhtred, son of Uhtred, tells how his childhood was interrupted by war, and his loyalties altered by pleasing accident. Those shifted and now conflicting loyalties make for a truly intriguing tale as the English youngster grows up in a Danish family, learning to fight his own people, yet always remaining uniquely loyal to his heritage. It’s a fascinating tale, blending details of well-researched history with complexly authentic politics, vivid social lives and customs, and generous acceptance of different circumstances, religions and needs. The characters on both sides are enthrallingly believable. And the protagonist’s dry humor, human imperfections, and determined honesty make for a great narrator to a tale of great and exciting times. I’m eager to read more, and to watch more of the series on TV!Disclosure: I loved the TV series and now I love the books too.

[ilonita50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from Goodreads first-reads, thank you!The cover edition is dedicated to the TV series which I haven't seen yet, but it does work and the story seems more personal for me. This is my first book read by the author and I am glad that I like the story so much to give fully 5 stars.The plot is surprising with it turns and story plotline, the set is between Danish and English, aka viking time. For me it is not the very first story to be read about Vikings, but more from Scandinavian -Norwegian /Swedish aspect in history and history-fiction. The book is about a boy who nearly gets killed at the point where he has seen his father go into the battle and die, taking the sword and attacking the enemy by himself...only to face the sword given by his dad is not a real sword to fight...Luckily the destiny plays a role and the opponent doesn't kills him, instead takes him with and from then on... The little boy is about to discover what means to have a dad in nowadays interpretation, someone who shows example of caring dad, keeping family traditions and teaching him how to live within their customs, testing but awarding...Its up to a boy to grow up and take sides, up to a man to follow his heart and home and take decisions.

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Henry Treece for people no longer children, although I still re-read the Vikings Dawn books 50 years on..... But without the horned helmets which were apparently a myth. Should get more than 3 stars but not quite four. Very good stuff with the boats - there's been a lot of seafaring/boat building history in recent years and it's pretty convincing.

[msaucier818 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic book of historical fiction that doubles as a fast-paced thriller. The author does a great job putting the reader right in the middle of 9th century England through various characters. The fact that most of the people in the book were major players in the actual history make this book even greater. I am not doing a great job putting into words how much I enjoyed reading this book. I had been in a rut of late trying to find a book of fiction that excited me, but this first book of a four part series has me once again enthusiastic about reading. I have never read anything by Cornwell and am looking forward to the rest of this series and perhaps other books by him as he has written dozens.

[kuglar · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Easy to read in spite of the constant warfare.
Hero is a smartass in the best way.
Humanizes the great Alfred the Great. Who knew he was so annoyingly pious?

Uhtred's defection from Dane to English wasn't smoothly written for me. He did an awkward 180 degree turn in loyalty when Ragnor died. Still, I enjoyed the book (and the Netflix series) and will keep reading.

[arning_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lot's of action, however the story is told in first person and that limits the development of the other characters. It is a page turner and I pushed to the ending.

[bhabeck-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had this book on my TBR for several months but only got to it after watching the first season of the TV series on BBC. The book is a detailed account of the battle for England in the late 800s between the Danes (Vikings, Norsemen, etc) and King Albert. The story follows Uhtred Ragnarson a Saxon who was captured by the Danes when he was 10 and raised as a son by Ragnar. Uhtred struggles with his upbringing as a Dane and love for Ragnar and the love of his ancestral home Brabbenburg in Northumbria.Note for those interested in both the TV series and the book - The first season of the TV series extends beyond Book 1.

[tess_elizabeth-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Engaging and well-researched fictional account of an English boy taken prisoner by the Danish Vikings and raised in their ranks. Uhtred, a young earl and hungry for adventure and glory, loves his new life with his Viking kidnappers. But destiny has other plans for Uhtred, and eventually he finds himself fighting for the English under King Alfred. "The Last Kingdom" references the fact that Alfred is king of Wessex, the last kingdom in England to hold against the Viking invaders. The book is the first in a series, and introduces the characters and landscape on the brink of a turning point in English history.My issue with Bernard Cornwell books is that they relegate women to background roles, usually with little agency and few spoken lines. It's Cornwell's perogative to not have female narrators or main characters (maybe some of his books do, but not the ones I've read), but he just seems clueless as to women's roles and contributions in the different periods of history in which he writes. The character of Brida in this book was the exception to the rule, but even her character seemed two dimensional and that what was supposed to be good about her was that she acted like a man. Women are either whores or victims of rape, and the casual way he describes violence against them is disturbing. Yes, I know it was a "different time" back then, but don't tell me that rape was any less awful, or people experienced it differently.

[purpledog-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book, upon completion of a survey, for my honest review.I always enjoy reading a good historical fiction novel. I like that you learn something while reading and yet you did not have to read a boring, dry text book. This is the first book I have read from Bernard Cornwell and it will not be my last. The Last Kingdom, is the story of Uhtred, the son of a Saxon lord who is killed by a host of invading Danes. Uhtred is captured, as a young boy, by Ragner a Danish war lord. Ragnar raises Uhtred as his son and teaches him the ways of the Danes. Treachery among the Danes and Ragnar is killed. Uhtred now a young man, by fate or chance, rediscovers his English heritage. Now he must fight against the Danes. The story is powerful and gritty. A tale not easily forgotten.

[odkins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have become a a real fan of Bernard Cornwell. The Last kingdom is full historical detail without being pedantic. I always assumed his b were "boy" books. However, his characters are nuanced and believable. I look forward to the next book in this series.

[jdawslloyd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked up this book after discovering the TV series on Netflix. Love historical fiction and the narrative style of this series has me hooked.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One of those instances where I enjoyed the tv series more than the book and I'll probably not be going back to the book.Uhtred is a Saxon who is captured by a raiding party of Dances at 10, and is brought up as a Dane, he finds himself torn between the two lives and two worlds. His life takes different twists and turns and it's told by his older self.There are very few women in the book and none of them aren't involved with the male character at some point. Scads of male background characters but this comes across as very like a lot of films.It wasn't bad but I don't intend to read more in this series.

[mnorfolk49 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good - enjoyed historical aspect and a good way to learn about some of these past events. TV series was good but this is much, much better. So many constant themes through history - we might consistently increase our knowledge but with each generation having to relearn the emotional side of things, we repeat the same mistakes and suffer the same consequences and horrors.

[creighley_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I the middle years of the ninth century, the fierce Danes stormed onto British soil, hungry for spoils and conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to the ruthless Danes until one realm remained. And suddenly the fate of all England-and the course of history- depended upon one man, one king. It’s an epic adventure of courage, treachery, duty, devotion, majesty, love, and battle as seen through the eyes of a young warrior who straddled two worlds.

[wishanem · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This books stars a sometimes-sypathetic character who has more in common with Conan the Barbarian than any particular historical figure I can think of. However, the setting and other characters are more historically accurate, and the broad events are clearly historical. Overall, I enjoyed it.

[mattmcmanus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm glad I stumbled on this book. It's a thoroughly engaging and surprising accurate piece of historical fiction. It's has the intense battles and interesting dynamics of game of thrones without all the junk. If you enjoyed watching the history channels Vikings you will love this book.

[jercox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining and historically interesting (within the bounds of fiction, which the author does a good job of clarifying). Not a period you would want to live in, but powerful stories to experience vicariously.

[jamestomasino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely masterful. I listened to the book unabridged on Audible and the narrator performed perfectly. It's rare to find absolute confidence that I'll finish an entire series based on the first book, but Cornwell pulled it off.

[fliss88_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've found myself a new favourite author. I've found myself a 13 part series to read! The author can trace his ancestry back through his father to Uhtred the Bold, Earl of Northumbria and Lord of Bamburgh, the main character in The Last Kingdom - imagine that! Story takes place in 9th and 10th centuries England when the Danes are invading, the English are learning to unite, life is short and men are considered old in their 40s. Once again I found the writing exceptional although, to be honest I did stumble on some of the - olde English place names but I didn't let that ruin the narrative.

[gothamajp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes you just want to pull a book off the shelf and disappear into it for a weekend, and this is definitely such a book. A gripping and engagingly told tale of great historical events that forged a nation, interwoven with personal insights and relatable characters. Historical fiction at its best.

[altheaann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is only the second book I've read by this prolific historical fiction
author. The first, The Winter King, impressed me with its grittily
believable portrayal of a possible King Arthur.
The Last Kingdom gives us another Very Manly Man in the person of Uhtred,
a 9th-century English heir who is captured by Danish Viking invaders and
raised as one of their own. Conflicted between his own heritage and the
culture of the Danes, whose warlike, hearty religion and lifestyle appeals
to him, he grows to become a bold and violent leader of men. But he never
loses sight of his goal, which is to reclaim the fortress that was to be
his inheritance, no matter who might stand in his way.
Uhtred is not a very likable person, but he is believable for his time
period and background, and the English and Danish cultures and attitudes
of the time are vividly and believably rendered. Highly recommended for
any fans of Vikings!
Uhtred's saga already continues in three more novels (boy, Cornwell writes
fast - the first one just came out in 2004!)

[nickelini · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Uhtred is the son of a 9th century Northumbrian lord, and is orphaned and taken hostage in a Viking attack. He becomes a pawn, and then double-agent, in the wars between the Danes and Alfred, King of Wessex. I've read a lot of historical fiction, and I've developed strong likes and dislikes in the genre. One of the things I strongly dislike is the endless battle scene, another is tiresome political maneuvering. This book is almost all one long battle. Also, The Last Kingdom is an entirely androcentric world, with a few females mentioned only as chattels or potential rape vessels. What did I expect, considering this novel is about Vikings? I expected more . . . I've read non-fiction about Vikings, and have seen numerous documentaries, and actually, they weren't at war all day, every day. And last I checked, the populations of both medieval England and Scandinavia were 50% female. I really wanted to hear more about their day to day lives, and not endless battles full of war strategy and bloodshed. Overall, I found this book to be a disappointing bore. Rating: Sorry, can't give it more than one star. I have no problem with the technical aspects of the writing, although there really wasn't much story arc--it starts with a battle, then there are some battles, and then it ends and the reader is supposed to go on to the next book in the series. Recommended for: Cornwell has an excellent reputation for well-researched novels, and I'm sure this one is no exception. It was just so very boring. I'm sure someone who doesn't notice when half the population is missing from a novel, and who likes reading action scenes will find this a good read. Obviously, I'm not the target audience for this one.

[parhamj-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is difficult for me to not compare Bernard Cornwell's excellent The Last Kingdom to the previous book I read. Primarily because this one is so good and that one was ... well, pretty disappointing.

And I found myself comparing the two as I was reading The Last Kingdom because there are similar techniques at work. Cornwell has a very straightforward and succinct writing style, and he plunks you right down in 9th century England without any real context or development. (Previous author does the same, although not 9th century England, but 17th century Bavaria) And when I say no context or development, I mean nooooo context or development. Cornwell writes like you live in 9th century England and the reality he is portraying to you is your reality.

And in previous books I have read, this tactic hasn't always worked well for me. But it did in The Last Kingdom. And I think the main reason is the sole narrator / first person perspective of the story. Compared to the previous novel - which shall remain nameless here - the entire story of The Last Kingdom is told by Uhtred, the heir and lord who finds himself caught up in the 9th century wars between the then five English kingdoms and the Vikings. Since Uhtred is the only narrator, it became so easy to get engrossed in his story ... compared again to previous novels, which had multiple storytellers, and therefore, too many perspectives to feel really attached to any of them.

And I'm not saying the multi-narrator tactic doesn't work, but I do think more time is needed in creating a context to the individual characters so you can connect with them. I will give an example of a multi-person POV series that I think handles this just swelly: A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin. If you don't take the time to create that context and that connection, then why should I care about the characters or what happens to them? Just my humble $0.02.

I was also surprised to see how much I enjoyed Uhtred's cursory and simple description of the events in his life. It is his story after all, so it was refreshing to read through and see which moments meant more to him as a character than others. And they were surprising selections. I reached certain passages and thought they would drag on for days, but nope. Uhtred plows through them in a couple of pages ... and others that would have seemed insignificant, but Cornwell spends more time describing them through the eyes of Uhtred than it would feel, at least initially, is necessary. As the story will prove, those longer passages do connect to later moments in the novel, but it still felt new and innovative to get so lost in a character's personality.

So yes, I did compare this book to the previous one I read. Because it felt good to connect with that character, to get lost in his story, to see his world through his eyes, and to feel his emotions at his level. And both novels were set in violent and exciting time periods in history - but thanks to my immersion in Uhtred, I felt the world he was living in far more than 17th century Bavaria...

[devenish_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cornwell takes us into the world of ninth-century Britain and the constant battles between the inhabitants and the invading Danes. A young boy,Uhtred,is orphaned and later adopted by a Danish leader. This first book in the series tells the story of Uhtred's transformation from boy to warrior.