The Last Kingdom

By
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell has been awarded an OBE, sold over 20 million copies, and at a rough count
has written nearly fifty full-length novels since 1981. Its quite a pedigree, which puts Cornwell at
the pinnacle of his trade, and hes best known for his Sharpe series of novels, many of which have
been turned into a long-running series of TV films, with Sean Bean playing the part of the
swashbuckling Englishman caught up in the battles of the Napoleonic era. Cornwells latest
interest is the 9th century, when the various kingdoms of England were overrun by the
Vikings. The last king, Alfred, is driven into the marshes of Athelney, but makes one of the great
come-backs of history: not only rallying his troops and defeating the Vikings, but also founding
one of the most vigorous dynasties of Medieval Europe: who went on to unite the English speaking
peoples and definitively set the boundaries of what is still England.
This is the exciting yet little known story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries,
the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who
had invaded and occupied three of Englands four kingdoms. The story is seen through the eyes of
Uhtred, a dispossessed nobleman, who is captured as a child by the Danes and then raised by them
so that, by the time the Northmen begin their assault on Wessex (Alfreds kingdom and the last
territory in English hands) Uhtred almost thinks of himself as a Dane. He certainly has no love for
Alfred, whom he considers a pious weakling and no match for Viking savagery, yet when Alfred
unexpectedly defeats the Danes and the Danes themselves turn on Uhtred, he is finally forced to
choose sides. By now he is a young man, in love, trained to fight and ready to take his place in the
dreaded shield wall. Above all, though, he wishes to recover his fathers land, the enchanting fort
of Bebbanburg by the wild northern sea.
The Saxon Tales series may not be fantasy, but it has many of the elements that relates to fantasy
novels in the first place: horses, swords, romance, castles, forests, war, and all that goodness.
Cornwell is an experienced author who can not only pull his readers into another time and place,
but he endears his readers to characters real and imagined. The best part of the books is Uhtred
himself, hes easy to like, despite his foibles or because of them. He has drive, hes fearless, and
has a lot to learn. As the series progresses, the readers can watch the steep learning curve Uhtred
experiences as he discovers mens and womens motivations, and the terrible fallout that results.
His rash naivet and teasing often gets him into trouble. Uhtred may not be a historical character
like others in the series, but his role is still important.

Theres a complex play of religion and politics and personal loyalty in 9th century England, and
Cornwells narrative cuts clearly through this Gordian Knot with strong characters, great action
scenes and clear motivations for the various characters many real some imagined - to do what
they do. Cornwell uses old English spellings for place names, which gives a nice flavor to the
novel as well as giving insights into the names of places now. Some names are very similar to the
modern, Cornwalum-Cornwall; some are names for places that no longer exist like Dalriada a
part of modern Scotland, and some almost comic: Cornwells prose betraying a note of distinct
pleasure in the name of Snotengaham the Home of Snot's people which is the rather
unfortunate name for modern day Nottingham.
There are many details that can bog down a historical novel, but Cornwell is comfortable and
efficient in resurrecting the 9th century world around his characters with its seal-skin rigging and
longships and codes of honor and betrayal and, like the best historical novels, he manages to
explain and illuminate the actions and motivations of characters without sounding like a lecture on
early medieval life. His story makes it clear just how difficult it was for English kingdoms to raise
and army and defeat an enemy as mobile as the Vikings able to strike at will like the Huns and
Mongols - as well as the techniques and the impression of the shield wall, and the lifestyle of the
period.

The result of writing a lot of historical fiction during wartime, Cornwell has mastered the art of
battlefield storytelling. More fantasy writers need to read his stuff for pointers. I love the details,
explanations, and experiences via Uhtred and the fights hes involved in and witnesses. He gives
these scenes a realism of time and place without feeling flashy or excessive.

It helps that Cornwells prose lays somewhere between utilitarian and elegant. In fact, you hardly
notice it at all, instead all of your attention is on Uhtreds antics and the surrounding scenery.
Cornwell provides enough detail to set up the readers in the time and place, without too
much world-building exposition, descriptions, or distracting metaphors. His prose is nothing
fancy, and thats OK; in fact it makes the books easy, quick reads. I also love the humor and
Uhtreds candid observations. Its straightforward storytelling.

There are nine sequels to the novels and a television series comprising of two seasons has been
shown on BBC America covering the first four books and has been appreciated worldwide and is
being called the real world Game of Thrones without the dragons and magic of course.