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  • The Last Kingdom

  • The Last Kingdom Series, Book 1
  • By: Bernard Cornwell
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
  • Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (344 ratings)

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The Last Kingdom

By: Bernard Cornwell
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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Publisher's Summary

The first book in a brand-new series, The Last Kingdom is set in England during the reign of King Alfred.

Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of ninth-century Northumbria. Orphaned at 10, 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 will tell 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.

©2004 Bernard Cornwell (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"Cornwell is a virtuoso of historical fiction." ( Sunday Telegraph)
"Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation." ( Daily Mail)
"Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched." ( Observer)

What listeners say about The Last Kingdom

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

So well researched

I felt this was a little slow to get going and I nearly did not continue but so glad I did. The book gave a great insight to living in these times, I am looking forward to the next in this series

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A ripping story read wonderfully.

I'm already a fan and I will be listening to more by this author. Loved it.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Johnathan Keeble no 1

loved it Johnathan Keeble makes it i have listened to the 1st 4 books then i get the next one and the narration is terrible the voice is completley mono tone and all wrong it has spoilled the next 8 books for me and im completley devestated because i really love this Bernard cromwell series

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story

Rip roaring story well narrated. Very easy listening that really draws the listener back into ancient times

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Just amazing

I got this book because I’d watched the tv series, it is awesome you get so much more then you see in the show, so far this book series is amazing. Can’t wait to listen to the next book

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

As good as the books

A classy performance and immensely enjoyable.

I particularly liked the Wessex settings - my home country - I grew up in Dorset and went to school in Wareham.

The history has been adapted for the story for sure - but then it is a fantastic story so that’s fine.

Only one thing jars and that’s some of the ‘Saxon’ pronunciation - which can be tricky for sure.

Sceadugengan for me isn’t ‘skir-du-gengan’ but more like ‘schadu-gengan’.

Sceadu = shadow

Gengan = get gone / going

Wey aye, Ahm gan yewt in tha shadas t’neet.

That’ll make sense to some.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Uhtred!!!

What a start to an amazing series. Can’t recommend this highly enough. History, passion and character development. Love this series and will come back and listen again soon.

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  • Overall
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Wonderful

Such a great story and so beautifully narrated! Highly recommend for those that love historical fiction.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great yarn!

What a ripping yarn. What a relief from the ABC BBC propaganda. Audible is still pushing woke rubbish. I love to filter out the nonsense they push.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Better than the show

I tried to watch the show, I didn't like how the main character was portrayed also over 60% of this book Utred is a child and adolescents this first entry is Utreds coming of age story and the show had completely missed the mark this book is fantastic abd am eager to read the rest I'm hoping the TV adaptation of the Warlord Chronicles is a lot better as that's my favourite series

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