The Last Kingdom

Meer over het boek

The first installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicles the epic saga of England's formation during the 9th and 10th centuries, a time when King Alfred the Great and his successors battled the invading Danish Vikings who occupied much of the land. The narrative is told through the eyes of Uhtred, a nobleman captured as a child by the Danes and raised among them. As the Northmen prepare to assault Wessex, Alfred’s kingdom, Uhtred finds himself torn between two worlds, having grown to identify more with his captors than his own heritage. His disdain for Alfred, whom he views as a pious weakling unfit to confront Viking brutality, complicates his loyalties. However, when Alfred unexpectedly triumphs over the Danes and they turn against Uhtred, he must make a crucial decision. Now a young man in love and trained for battle, Uhtred yearns to reclaim his father's land, the fort of Bebbanburg. This thrilling adventure, inspired by Cornwell’s own ancestry, captures a tumultuous period when the fabric of law and order was violently challenged by a pagan onslaught against Christian England, a conflict that nearly led to the country's destruction.