The Burning Land

By (author) Cornwell, Bernard
Short description/annotation

The fifth novel in Bernard Cornwell’s epic and bestselling series on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

BBC2’s major Autumn 2015 TV show THE LAST KINGDOM is based on the first two books in the series.

Description

The fifth novel in Bernard Cornwell’s epic and bestselling series on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

BBC2’s major Autumn 2015 TV show THE LAST KINGDOM is based on the first two books in the series.

To King Alfred he is the ‘lord of battles’. He has gained riches, loyal men and a beloved wife. But Uhtred is dogged by betrayal and tragedy.

The ailing Alfred presses Uhtred to swear loyalty to his son and heir Edward, preventing the warrior lord from taking vengeance on those who stole his home at Bebbanburg. Now Uthred will once again defend the Christian kingdom – in a battle which could smash the growing power of the deadly Danes.

In so doing he meets a woman more dangerous than any warlord. A killer, a schemer with a dark power over men’s hearts: Skade.

Uhtred of Bebbanburg’s mind is as sharp as his sword. A thorn in the side of the priests and nobles who shape his fate, this Saxon raised by Vikings is torn between the life he loves and those he has sworn to serve.

Review quote

Praise for The Burning Land:

‘Cornwell draws a fascinating picture of England as it might have been before anything like England existed’
The Times

Praise for AZINCOURT:

''This is a magnificent and gory work'' Daily Mail

''The historical blockbuster of the year'' Evening Standard

‘If Bernard Cornwell was born to write one book, this is it. No other historical novelist has acquired such a mastery of the minutiae of warfare in centuries past.’ Daily Telegraph

‘A runaway success’ Observer

Praise for Bernard Cornwell:

‘The characterisation, as ever, is excellent…And one can only admire the little touches that bring the period to life. He can also claim to be a true poet of both the horror and the glory of war.’ Sunday Telegraph

This is typical Cornwell, meticulously researched, massive in scope, brilliant in execution’. News of the World

‘He’s called a master story-teller. Really he’s cleverer than that.’ Telegraph

Biographical note

Bernard Cornwell was born in London, raised in Essex, and now lives mainly in the USA with his wife. In addition to the hugely successful Sharpe novels, Bernard Cornwell is the author of the Starbuck Chronicles, the Warlord trilogy, the Grail Quest series and the Alfred series.

Feature

• The Burning Land was a huge bestseller in hardback

• The previous hardback in the Alfred series, Sword Song, reached number 2 on the Sunday Times bestseller list, staying in the top ten for 9 weeks.

• The Lords of the North hardback has sold over 125,000 copies.

• With his staggering Grail Quest, Warlord and Sharpe series Bernard Cornwell has cemented his position as a virtuoso of historical fiction

• With national press advertising backed by innovative digital activity on Google Earth, this is set to be a major bestseller

Competition: dunstan;emperor;imperium;cicero;Empire;pillars of the earth;column of fire;Kingsbridge;darien;shardlake;falcon;sparta;lancelot. by Wilbur Smith;Iggulden;Lee Child;Simon Scarrow;Ken Follett;patrick o’brian;c.s.;cs forester;c.j.;cj sansom;robert harris;Cornwall;George r r martin;robert harris;lee child.