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The Last Kingdom (Abridged) Audiobook
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(4.00) - 12,468 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The first installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC America television series.
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 England’s 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 (Alfred’s 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 father’s land, the enchanting fort of Bebbanburg by the wild northern sea.
This thrilling adventure—based on existing records of Bernard Cornwell’s ancestors—depicts a time when law and order were ripped violently apart by a pagan assault on Christian England, an assault that came very close to destroying England.
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"The last kingdom is a greatly written story about the wikings appearing in England. I am from Denmark (where the wikings come from) so this story was very special to me. Yherefore I loved it and I also loved that nothing has been left behind, none is made st. like og better then the other part but the brutality of the wikings is also very clear which I appriciate."
— Ida (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A terrific read. Cornwell really makes history come alive, and no one writes better battle scenes. He has another winner on his hands.”
— George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“Intoxicating…Thrilling…Cornwell conveys the disquiet of change and the melancholy of extinction as few historical novelists manage to.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“Vividly drawn…Cudgel us crazy, but after this dip into the Dark Ages, we want to go back.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“A solid adventure by a crackling good storyteller.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Narrating as Uhtred, Glover brings alive both the boy and the wiser man, foreshadowing without giving too much away...[The Last Kingdom’s] take on loyalty and its historical detail are fascinating.”
— AudioFile -
“Rousing…Cornwell deserves praise for his mesmerizing narrative finesse and authentic historical detailing…[a]n irresistible epic adventure.”
— Booklist -
“Cornwell’s no-fail mix of historic tidbits and good-humored action makes the usually gloomy ninth century sound like a hell of a lot of fun.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
The Last Kingdom Listener Reviews
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" Historical fiction about the Danes invasion of England...It was very good, though a bit violent. I look forward to book #2. "
— Wynter, 2/15/2014 -
" Bernard Cornwell's book looking at the Viking invasion of Britain and giving a new interpretation on the rule of Alfred the Great. "
— Michael, 2/14/2014 -
" High entertainment that pierces, occasionally, the borders of good literature, like a Danish raid into West Saxon lands. "
— Jered, 2/5/2014 -
" This is the book that launched me into my favorite all around series. The prose never gets too deep, but you can't help but sympathize with Uhtred and his divided loyalties. "
— Brandon, 2/2/2014 -
" Fun, with action and some interesting history. "
— Scot, 2/1/2014 -
" This book is completely amazing I couldn't put the book down for even a moment! "
— Alycia, 1/13/2014 -
" Once again Bernard Cornwell has painted an intersting and enlightening picture of 9th century England. I particularly enjoy his references to the old names of English places. I highly recommend it as an enjoyable historical read. "
— Patricia, 12/22/2013 -
" Excellent series about King Alfred! "
— Linwe, 12/20/2013 -
" It's good enough that I'm reading the second book, but not so good that I'm ready to give it more than 3 stars. "
— Becca, 11/18/2013 -
" This book is great so far although I am not done with it. "
— Randy, 9/15/2013 -
" This was a great start to a series that started going downhill (rapidly)... "
— Nathan, 4/14/2013 -
" I enjoyed this story. It took me a few pages to get into it, but once I did, I appreciated the character development and the bits of history in the story. "
— Dara, 3/10/2013 -
" I enjoyed this, but was not overwhelmed. Truthfully, I was distracted while listening and did not catch every work. Also, the names were a bit hard to remember without seeing them in print. "
— Lartemis, 12/21/2012 -
" A great find, thanks to Michael for pointing me towards another great author. I'm reading #2 in this series now! "
— Mindi, 6/27/2012 -
" The Arthur trilogy was better. "
— Ayoshak, 2/19/2012 -
" Good read, but a bit on the bloody side. "
— Heather, 1/30/2012 -
" This book was a bit gritty and violent for my tastes, but I enjoyed it. This is a period of history I know very little about & I as I was reading I really felt immersed in the ninth century. "
— Jen, 8/8/2011 -
" Loved this historical Viking book. Well written, great story, full of Viking facts. "
— Vicki, 7/22/2011 -
" all his books are great reads, it really gives a glimpse of life in that era "
— Bob, 6/20/2011 -
" Viiikings! Saxons!<br/>blood and the shield wall! "
— Monkey, 6/13/2011 -
" The start of a fantastic series with a really well drawn central character and an excellent cast of supporting characters should be adapted for television or the movies. "
— George, 6/10/2011 -
" unputdownable,even when its down im thinking of it .my first bernard cornwell book ,and so happy to know there is another 4 in this story. "
— Peter, 5/20/2011 -
" Uhtred sees his brother and father killed and he is captured by the Danes. The Dane Ragnar raises Uhtred like one of his own and Uhtred likes it. Uhtred resists efforts by King Alfred to be returned to his own countrymen. He does not want to spend his "
— Jake, 5/6/2011 -
" Danes and Saxons fight.<br/>Saxon thinks Alfred nerdy,<br/>Serves him anyway. <br/> "
— David, 5/1/2011 -
" Very testosterone-fueled (lots of gory battle descriptions) but kept my interest and I learned a bit about olde England :) "
— Krista, 3/27/2011
About Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell, born in London, worked for the BBC and Thames Television before coming to the United States to write full time. His sweeping historical novels, including the acclaimed Richard Sharpe series and many more, make him a number one bestselling author in the United Kingdom and around the world. He is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales series, which serves as the basis for the hit television series The Last Kingdom.
About Jamie Glover
Jamie Glover was trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He has appeared on stage in productions of The Cherry Orchard and Mother Tongue. His many radio credits include Ben Hur and Sherlock Holmes, and on television he has had roles in Brother Cadfael, The Broker’s Man, and Breaking Up. His film work includes Age of Treason, which was directed by Kevin Connor.