The Burning Land [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Bernard Cornwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2009

In a clash of heroes, the kingdom is born. At the end of the ninth century, King Alfred of Wessex is in ill health; his heir, an untested youth. His enemy, the Danes, having failed to conquer Wessex, now see their chance for victory. Led by the sword of savage warrior Harald Bloodhair, the Viking hordes attack. But Uhtred, Alfred's reluctant warlord, proves his worth, outwitting Harald and handing the Vikings one of their greatest defeats. For Uhtred, the sweetness of victory is soon overshadowed by tragedy. Breaking with Alfred, he joins the Vikings, swearing never again to serve the Saxon king. Instead, he will reclaim his ancestral fortress on the Northumbrian coast. Allied with his old friend Ragnar-and his old foe Haesten-he aims to invade and conquer Wessex itself. Yet fate has different plans. The Danes of East Anglia and the Vikings of Northumbria are plotting the conquest of all Britain. When Alfred's daughter pleads with Uhtred for help, he cannot refuse her request. In a desperate gamble, he takes command of a demoralized Mercian army, leading them in an unforgettable battle on a blood-soaked field beside the Thames. In The Burning Land, Bernard Cornwell, "the reigning king of historical fiction" (USA Today), delivers a rousing saga of Anglo-Saxon England-an irresistible new chapter in his thrilling Saxon Tales, the epic story of the birth of England and the legendary king who made it possible.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Slathered in blood and gore, Saxon warlord Uhtred of Bebbanburg hacks his way through the ninth century in the exciting fifth installment to bestseller Cornwell's Saxon Tales series (following Sword Song). This action-packed novel continues the saga of warfare for supremacy in Britain, a brutal period when Saxon and Danish swords, battleaxes, and treachery ruled the day. By now, Alfred the Great is old and feeble, unwilling and unable to repel the Danish invaders. He relies on trusty pagan warlord Uhtred, but Uhtred's temper and an unexpected violent act force Uhtred to break his oath of loyalty to Alfred and flee north with his men, intending to reclaim his ancestral home. En route, they face marauding Danish armies, betrayal, battles for a pirate treasure, and the curse of a vicious Danish witch, only to eventually be manipulated back into fighting for Alfred. 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. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

After taking a break from his best-selling Saxon Chronicles series to write the stand-alone Agincourt (2009), Cornwell revisits ninth-century Britain to continue the story of Uhtred, the morally and emotionally conflicted Saxon-born, Danish-bred prince who was kidnapped and trained in the arts of war by his captors. Reluctantly committed to King Alfred of Wessex, Uhtred is still plagued by divided loyalties that continue to influence his actions and reactions both on and off the battlefield. After an embittered and overlooked Uhtred finally sets off on his own, determined to reclaim Bebbanburg, his ancestral home in Northumbria, Harald Bloodhair makes a play for the aging and debilitated Alfred’s throne. Called back into service by Alfred’s daughter, Uhtred meets and defeats the Viking warrior at the Battle of Farnham. Once again, Cornwell, a master of martial fiction, makes history come alive with his rousing battlefield scenes. Since the future of a united Britain is left hanging in the balance, keep on the lookout for further installments. --Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Oakhill Publishing Limited; Unabridged edition (November 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184648748X
• ISBN-13: 978-1846487484
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 7.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,636,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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 that did not need a permit from the US government - and for some years he had been wanting to write the adventures of a British soldier in the Napoleonic wars - and so the Sharpe series was born. Bernard and Judy married in 1980, are still married, still live in the States and he is still writing Sharpe.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Uhtred of Bebbanburg was within their walls and such is my reputation that they expected me to start slaughtering them.", January 22, 2010

By 

Ronin - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Burning Land (The Saxon Chronicles, Book 5) (Hardcover)

"Instead I burned the wooden god and his wooden cross and mixed their ashes with crushed apples, that I fed to my two sows. I worship Thor."

Uhtred, son of Uhtred and the Uhtred who came before returns in Book 5 of the Saxon Chronicles (#1 Last Kingdom; #2 Pale Horseman; #3 Lords of the North; #4 Sword Song). If you haven't read the previous books, Cornwell always offers short recaps but I suggest you start at the beginning, because this is easily the best series on Alfred and the 10th century West Saxons. Cornwell crafts exceptional characters in both the men who defend the Kingdom of Wessex, and the Danish Viking villains who seek to destroy the fledgling christian nation.

The story begins around 894 with the Battle of Fearnhamme (Farnham), where Uhtred leads Alfred's forces against Harald Bloodhair, who I believe is a fictional character but is certainly a great villain. Haesten returns to make trouble, and Uhtred heads north. An interesting point brought up in the Historical Note, suggests Torneie Island (Thorney), where the Danes sought refuge after Farnham, is now buried under the development surrounding Heathrow.

I love the main character Uhtred of Bebbanburg. He is a peerless pagan warrior bound by oath to King Alfred who is a christian obsessed with converting the world. This is a constant source of conflict for Uhtred, who must serve the very thing he despises, and his hatred is more evident in The Burning Land than any of the prior books.

"The way to wealth is to become a christian bishop or a monastery's abbot and thus be imbued with heaven's permission to lie, cheat, and steal your way to luxury."

Uhtred has had a hard life filled with misfortune and violence. He is both cantankerous and noble at the same time. When the bishop Asser demands a woman be struck for insulting the King, Uhtred mocks him for bringing violence upon a women. Throughout the series, this is one of Uhtred's great qualities: his respect and generally good treatment of women, who during this age could hardly come to expect such from men.

I highly recommend this book. If you enjoyed the previous books in the series, The Burning Land will not disappoint. At the very end Cornwell lets us know that Uhtred shall return for Book 6, I can't wait!

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Cornwell Masterpiece, January 19, 2010

By 

Julia A. Andrews (Peoria, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burning Land (The Saxon Chronicles, Book 5) (Hardcover)

Another first rate novel by Bernard Cornwell continuing the story of Uhtred in the Saxon Tales. As in the previous novels in this series, Cornwell recreates a time and society in a masterly manner. Against the background of plot and intrigue, this fast paced tale holds the reader's attention until the last page. Cornwell's scholarship and research is evident, and contributes mightily to the success of the book. While the relationships between the Saxons and Danes, Christian and Pagans have considerable complexity and nuance, Cornwell shows his ability to ensure this adds to the read's enjoyment and in no way interferes with the pace of the story or it unfolding. Another brillant addition to Mr. Cornwell's impressive list of books. Purchased prior its US release on Amazon UK and well worth the shipping fees.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uhtred rages on..., January 31, 2010

By 

G. Stewart "Debussy & Sibelius Freak" (Chesapeake, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Burning Land (The Saxon Chronicles, Book 5) (Hardcover)

Though Uhtred has endured a harsh and trying life (all told in the Saxon Chronicles - The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, Sword Song - all of which I highly recommend you read before entering The Burning Land, not because you must to understand the story but because the series is exceptional) in the previous offerings in this series by the great Bernard Cornwell, he continues his raging life which is entangled in the life of King Alfred, later to be known as Alfred the Great.

Here we find Uhtred finally freeing himself of the burden of the oath he held to Alfred only to find that he is held under oath to Alfred's daughter. And so, Uhtred rages on against the Danes, the Vikings, the men of the North. And along with the rage comes the expected gory battles described in miserable beauty by Cornwell. The savagery is brought to life in such vivid telling that you'll swear you are there amongst the blood-shed.

This book, like its predecessors, spends a lot of time on the history of Alfred and his fight to build England, then just a dream of the King of Wessex. I cannot more highly recommend a book or a series of books. You must read the entire series; I've read the whole series twice now and will go back again, it is that captivating.

Start at the beginning (again, you don't need to, per se, but why skip the previous 4 books when they are so wonderful, the story so big and amazing) and read the entire series; you'll be waiting for the next and the wait is torturous but worth it. Not much more to say; buy the whole series and dig in for a mind-blowing adventure which is fairly accurate in its retelling.

Cornwell is today's greatest writer of historical fiction.

Enjoy!