Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of ninth-century Northumbria. Orphaned at ten, he is captured and adopted by a Dane and taught the Viking ways. Yet Uhtred's fate is bound up with Alfred, King of Wessex, who rules over the English kingdom to survive the Danish assault. This book is set in England during the reign of King Alfred.

Enter a world where bloody battles, and heroic deeds combine in the historic struggle to unite Britain in the face of a common enemy. The third instalment in Bernard Cornwell's King Alfred series, follows on from the outstanding previous novels The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman.

It is the lowest time for the Saxons. Defeated by the Vikings who now occupy most of England, Alfred and his group of surviving followers retreat to the trackless marshlands of Somerset. Only Uhtred remains resolute. His plan is to become accepted by their leaders, and to sit in their councils and uncover their plans.

The fourth in the bestselling Alfred series from number one historical novelist, Bernard Cornwell.

Created and edited by Justin Kestler and Ben Florman, SparkNotes Literature Guides provide analysis of (currently) 175 classic works of English and foreign language literature - novels, biographies, plays and poetry - that most commonly appear on examination syllabuses. These books provide the insights that today's students need to know.

Composed towards the end of the first millennium of our era, the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf is a Northern epic and a classic of European literature. In this new translation, Seamus Heaney has produced a work that is true, line by line, to the original poem.

Explores how Dark Age battles were fought, where they were fought, and why. Recreates ten major battles in compelling detail.

The Battle of Hastings changed the course of English history. Featuring a visitor's guide to the battlefield today, this edition contains new views of the battlefield and gives information on the best-known figures of British heritage.

In his eighteenth chronicle Brother Cadfael, on an apparently simple errand for his bishop, becomes embroiled in the violent conflict between two Gwynedd brothers.

Whilst on a mission up the Volga, a representative of the ruler of Baghdad meets a Viking chieftain who has been summoned back to Scandinavia by his besieged relatives. The two men journey together northwards to engage in mortal combat with the dark, hairy brutes who threaten to empty the land.