The Last Kingdom

The Saxon Chronicles, Book 1

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Jamie Glover

Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

From Bernard Cornwell, the New York Times best-selling author whom the Washington Post calls "perhaps the greatest writer of historical adventure novels today", comes a saga of blood, rage, fidelity, and betrayal. In the ninth and 10th centuries, King Alfred and his heirs fought to secure the survival of the last outpost of Anglo-Saxon culture by battling the ferocious Vikings, whose invading warriors had already captured and occupied three of England's four kingdoms.

In AD 866, Uhtred, a boy of 10 and the son of a nobleman, is captured in the same battle that leaves his father dead. His captor is the Earl Ragnar, a Danish chieftain, who raises the boy as his own, teaching him the Viking ways of war. As a young man expected to partake in raids and bloody massacres of the English, he grapples with divided loyalties, torn between Ragnar, the warrior he loves like a father, and Alfred, whose piety and introspection leave him cold. It takes a terrible slaughter and the unexpected joys of marriage for Uhtred to discover his true allegiance, and to rise to his greatest challenge.

Ready for battle? Don't miss the rest of the Saxon Chronicles Series, including The Pale Horseman (Book 2), Lords of the North (Book 3), and Sword Song (Book 4).

©2005 Bernard Cornwell (P)2005 2005 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A solid adventure by a crackling good storyteller." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Cornwell deserves praise for his mesmerizing narrative finesse and his authentic historical detailing....[An] irresistible epic adventure." ( Booklist)

Typical Bernard Cornwell, A great Storry

Would you listen to The Last Kingdom again? Why?

Yes, When I bought it I didn't realize that it was the abridged version. I always prefer the full version.

Any additional comments?

I wish that Audible had the second and third in the series available.

Totally Gripping

Rather violent with graphic descriptions of battles, but obviously acceptable in the context. Very good transparent language resulting in excellent imagery. Very enjoyable listen, narration fitted change of mood etc. Historical detail very interesting. It's another good tale.

Vintage Cornwell

If you've liked any of Cornwell's stuff in the past, you'll likely enjoy this one as well. It has many things in common with both the Archer's Tale, and the superior Winter King. In the end, many of Cornwell's themes and plots are similar, but it's certainly a page-turner and (as always) his historical details are top-notch.

Love this series

Great story and narration. I listen to houndreds of books and this series is in my top 5 for sure. The main character is a badass who is constantly in some sort of a battle or confrontation with either Danish Vikings or Christians with no mushy love stories getting in the way.

a great story with an historical foundation

Would you consider the audio edition of The Last Kingdom to be better than the print version?

havent seen print

Which character – as performed by Jamie Glover – was your favorite?

all

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

the making of the last kingdom

Any additional comments?

i am not usually a reader (listener) of fiction. but, this has been a real treat.

JUST LIKE THE SHOW VIKINGS!!!

Great short story,This is a story about Uhtred the Saxon who was raised by the Vikings..He was taught the way of the sword and how to be a warrior.But the one thing he cant forget he and all his people are Saxon...Great book and better narrator..

Engaging Story, Excellent Narration

What did you love best about The Last Kingdom?

This book is very accessible historical fiction, with plenty of action, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking themes. It's both intelligent and at the same time exciting. The style and tone remind me a lot of the better-written fantasy books I've read, except it's based in real history and there is just about no supernatural stuff going on.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is the main character, Uhtred. He is shrewd and practical, yet has his own, consisten principles. He's complex yet relatable.

What does Jamie Glover bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Glover's voicing for individual characters is great. They are distinct, and seem highly appropriate to the way the characters are written.

Great Historical Fiction!

Cornwell writes exceedingly well. His historical novels are, usually, excellent and compelling with well-drawn heroes and dastardly villains. Cornwell's narrative style is often gripping and heavily laced with known historical nuances. Simply put, Cornwell combines imaginative storytelling with historical detail that "sells" the story in such a way that it often proves difficult to separate actual fact from fancy, which can be great fun. Never a disappointment, Cornwell deftly creates a backstory which often facilitates an intensely immersive listening experience. In addition, Cornwell's "Grail" series featuring 3 parts which includes (in order) "The Archer's Tale" "Vagabond" and "Heretic" are triumphant examples of historical narrative with superb adventure storytelling and sympathetic characters engaged in great struggles of class, character and conscience. Sometimes "dry" on-paper, Cornwell is a magnificent "listen!"

Series for guys

This series takes place in an interesting time in history and the author has devised a way to have one character tell about both the Saxons and the Danes (Vikings). Interesting, pretty well written, but too much battle.

A wonderful history lesson

Where does The Last Kingdom rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

At the top of my list in Historical Fiction

What did you like best about this story?

Travelling through the eyes of Euthred there is a gripping awareness of what life and death, poverty and priviledge, loyalty and betrayal, was really like during that tumultuous period of English hisitory.

What about Jamie Glover’s performance did you like?

As he opened doors on critical events and led us in alongside the characters, in an artful and subtle way, the intersity of his voice created a feeling of reality.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction just "a close up and personal feeling " of what it must have been like in a "shield wall".

Any additional comments?

The combination of Cornwall & Jamie Glover is irresistible.The only tiny glitch was an occasional mix up of Welsh, Irish and Cornish dialects