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Book Summary and Reviews of The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell

The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell

The Burning Land

A Novel

by Bernard Cornwell

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Jan 2010, 352 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In the last years of the ninth century, King Alfred of Wessex is in failing health, and his heir is an untested youth. The Danes, who have failed so many times to conquer Wessex, smell opportunity. First comes Harald Bloodhair, a savage warrior leading a Viking horde, who is encouraged to cruelty by his woman, Skade. But Alfred still has the services of Uhtred, his unwilling warlord, who leads Harald into a trap and, at Farnham in Surrey, inflicts one of the greatest defeats the Vikings were ever to suffer.This novel, the fifth in the magnificent series of England's history tells of the final assaults on Alfred's Wessex, that Wessex survived to become England is because men like Uhtred defeated an enemy feared throughout Christendom.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Vivid descriptions of merciless battlefield slaughter, rape, and destruction are artfully related by a masterful storyteller. Uhtred is victorious in some battles, but the outcome of others will have to wait for the sequel." - Publishers Weekly

"Once again, Cornwell, a master of martial fiction, makes history come alive with his rousing battlefield scenes." - Booklist

"The prolific Cornwell has been described as a master of historical fiction, but that may be an understatement. Cornwell makes his subject material come alive." - Library Journal

This information about The Burning Land was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Bernard Cornwell Author Biography

Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944 – a 'warbaby' – whose father was a Canadian airman and mother in Britain's Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

He was adopted by a family in Essex who belonged to a religious sect called the Peculiar People (and they were), but escaped to London University and, after a stint as a teacher, he joined BBC Television where he worked for the next 10 years.

He began as a researcher on the Nationwide programme and ended as Head of Current Affairs Television for the BBC in Northern Ireland. It was while working in Belfast that he met Judy, a visiting American, and fell in love. Judy was unable to move to Britain for family reasons so Bernard went to the States where he was refused a Green Card. He decided to earn a living by writing, a job ...

... Full Biography
Link to Bernard Cornwell's Website

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