{"product_id":"the-last-kingdom-isbn-9780060887186","title":"The Last Kingdom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first installment of Bernard Cornwell’s \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling historical fiction series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (\u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e, London)—the basis for \u003ci\u003eThe Last Kingdom\u003c\/i\u003e, the hit  Netflix series.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed Saxon 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 in a brutal clash of cultures. 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, in a relentless blood feud.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis action-packed, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eThe first installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (\u003cem\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/em\u003e, London)—the basis for \u003cem\u003eThe Last Kingdom\u003c\/em\u003e, the hit BBC America television series.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Masterful....[An]irresistible epic adventure....Cornwell deserves praise for his mesmerizing narrative finesse and his authentic historical detailing.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A crackling good storyteller.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Historical novels stand or fall on detail, and Mr. Cornwell writes as if he has been to ninth-century Wessex and back. Much has changed since the ninth century, but some things, and some feelings, are timeless.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Superior entertainment that is both engaging and enlightening....Historical adventures as smart and vigorous as Cornwell’s are in short supply.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Soaked] in nasty political intrigue, ripsnorting battles, and pungent blasphemy.... Glorious.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“For readers who find contentment in reading historical novels featuring clanking swords and battlefield carnage, Bernard Cornwell should be at the very top of your list.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Enthralling ... the desperate, heroic struggle of Alfred “the Great” ... against the seemingly invincible Vikings. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“History comes alive.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Bernard Cornwell does the best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGeorge R.R. Martin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Cornwell .... makes the usually gloomy ninth century sound like a hell of a lot of fun.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Highly recommended … another great historical series in the making.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Enter Cornwell’s vividly drawn ninth-century Kingdom … after this dip into the Dark Ages, we want to go back.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Intoxicating….Thrilling….Cornwell conveys the disquiet of change and the melancholy of extinction as few historical novelists manage to.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post Book World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888596349157,"sku":"NP9780060887186","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780060887186.jpg?v=1730229409","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-last-kingdom-isbn-9780060887186","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}