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)

Great Intro to Alfred the Great

What made the experience of listening to The Last Kingdom the most enjoyable?

Very interesting intro into a historical novel on Alfred the Great. The story was very well put together with good solid narration. Lots of action and suspense combined with a sound story line. My only disappoinbtment was realizing I had purchased an abridged version. Would loved to have read the unabridged version.

What did you like best about this story?

The character development of the main character was well done, the evolution of the story line was compelling and held my interest.

If you could take any character from The Last Kingdom out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Dinner with the main character Uthred, would be interesting. Young, head strong, confident yet still clearly full of flaws.

Any additional comments?

recommended read.

fascinating historical fiction!

the narrator is phenomenal. Mr Cornwell's writing is sweeping and epic and the first person perspective works great. especially love how he uses foreshadowing when introducing new characters; it makes me eager to keep listening. The dialogue can be a bit crass but was tamer than some of his other works I've read.

Liked it, Did Not Love It

The performance was great, the story was fine, I just did not get sucked into it the way I have been sucked into other audio books. This was my first Cromwell book and I think it may have been my last. The fault could lie in the fact that it is the abridged version, and I was not paying attention when I clicked "buy." It was on sale and therefore worth the 5 dollars I spent on it. It has taught me to pay more attention to if the work is complete or not.

Exciting Historical Fiction

Bernard Cornwell excels at showing us English and Saxon history through the eyes of a young man. Battles, friendships, traveling and living were shown and made an exciting story to hear.
I will want to hear more books by Cornwell.

fascinating

Would you listen to The Last Kingdom again? Why?

Yes, so another could hear it also.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Kingdom?

Uthred, after victory over Uber, holds Uber's twitching dying hand as he dies.

Have you listened to any of Jamie Glover’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First time hearing this narrator -- easy to listen to and easy to hear every word. I like his voice.

Who was the most memorable character of The Last Kingdom and why?

Uthred's character is well developed as are they all.

Ikke hele boka.

Ikke hele boka. Det er for dårlig. Føler meg lurt når hele boka koster det samme som denne.

I didn't realize this is the abridged version.

please review before buying this is the abridged version and nonsensical without ALL of the story.

Not Worth a Credit for Abridged Version

I enjoyed Jamie Glover's narration and adore Bernard Cornwell's writing. But it's a travesty that abridged versions of these glorious novels are allowed to be created. There isn't a book printed that couldn't benefit from some editing. But half? The Saxon Chronicles are a little over 300 pages long. When they are abridged you get all the battles and little of the character development. So disappointing.

I listened to Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. They were each about 39 hours long and they were superb. What am I missing? Is there a goal of how many books one can listen to in a certain amount of time? What difference does it make how long a book on tape runs if the goal is to enjoy the story and performance? The longer it runs, the longer you have the pleasure of experiencing the book.

I'm currently reading the print editions of The Saxon Chronicles and may try the one or two unabridged versions of this series, but will not waste any more credits on the abridged versions.