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Product Description
Product Description
In the dark ages, a legendary warrior struggles to unite Britain . . .
Uther, the High King of Britain, has died, leaving the infant Mordred as his only heir. His uncle, the loyal and gifted warlord Arthur, now rules as caretaker for a country which has fallen into chaos - threats emerge from within the British kingdoms while vicious Saxon armies stand ready to invade. As he struggles to unite Britain and hold back the Saxon enemy, Arthur is embroiled in a doomed romance with beautiful Guinevere. Will the old-world magic of Merlin be enough to turn the tide of war in his favour.
About the Author
Bernard Cornwell, bestselling author of the Warlord Chronicles and the Sharpe series, is married and lives in Cape Cod, USA.
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First Sentence
ONCE UPON A TIME, in a land that was called Britain, these things happened. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
ONCE UPON A TIME, in a land that was called Britain, these things happened. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Nobody knows the truth about King Arthur. What Cornwell presents here is an historically plausible version of the familiar tales. He's stripped away all the romanticised, magical, mediaeval nonsense. In its place he's given us the story of a warlord struggling to unite the British kingdoms in the wake of the collapse of Roman rule in the face of invasion by the English and the Saxons, and the growing influence of a middle-eastern cult called Christianity. The charactersisation is well-rounded and the evocation of time and place is stunning. Many of the characters and battles refer to real people and events documented in Dark Ages history. Most of the usual Arthurian characters and episodes are present, but re-told within this pre-English British context, e.g. there is no hunt for the Holy Grail, but there is a search for a mystical, Druidic cauldron. Good quality writing, great adventures and a great study of leadership and national identity. The other two books in the series are equally strong, and are highly recommended too.
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Romans have left Britain, and the long dark night begins to cover the land... this is historical fiction as it should be written...dark, bloody, funny at times, with characters that you actually care about. Arthurian novels really are ten a penny these days and Bernard Cornwell must have been very aware of this fact when he opted to write a trilogy based upon the legends. What he has done is to go back to the original Dark Age and craft a Britain set during the twilight days of paganism, as the Christians begin to make themselves heard, as the warring tribes strive to hold back the Saxons from their lands, as the Roman technology begins to crumble, rust, and be forgotten. In doing so, he has written the only Arthurian books worth reading, outside of Robert Nye's classic 'Merlin'. The subtleties within this book, and the trilogy overall, are marvellous... is this a fantasy novel? Well, there's plenty of magick, but it's of a psychological nature... you're never quite sure whether magick actually works... certainly the characters believe it does, but there's always a rational explanation for any effect, in addition to a supernatural one. The first book of the series sets the scene, introduces the characters and allows Arthur to make his initial mistakes, the repercussions of which will dog him until the bitter end. The key to the series is realism. Battles are fought with shield walls of frightened men who need to get drunk before they have the courage to charge. There is mud, and there is rain, and there is the slight glimmer of hope that Arthur's plans really will build a better Britain.... And then it all goes horribly wrong... These are real people, with real emotions, not the stock, cardboard clichés of nearly all Fantasy novels these days. The Winter King is an exhilarating start to a classic series. If you have any interest in Fantasy and/or the Dark Age period, this really is about as good as it gets.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Winter King" is the high point of Cornwell's writing. From the gruesome battle scenes at Benoic to the spirit-strewn Isle of the Dead, the book is vivid in detail and leaves the reader feeling as though they have lived the myth. In my opinion the characters are the most compelling factor of the novel. Arthur, the noble warlord with visions of a united Britain. Derfel, a Pagan spearman who narrates. Nimue, the fiery and, at times, slightly disturbing priestess. Lancelot, the conceited, self-appointed 'warrior'. Guninevere, the strong-willed wife of Arthur who must be surrounded by beautiful things. Mordred, the maimed babe edling who has Dumnonia's future on his tiny shoulders. And the enemies are just as intriguing. The bloody Saxons; the evil Gundleus; the viscious Franks. The battle scenes are truly terrifying and prayed on my mind for days afterwards. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I heard about the next books in the trilogy - "Enemy of God" and then "Excalibur". I have great faith in them both.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Winter King
I've read almost all of Bernard Cornwell's other Viking/Saxon era novels and found this book, like the others, unputdownable! Read more
Published 27 days ago by reevo6825
A poor interpretation of a great subject.
Being a fan of the Sharpe books and other historical fiction, such as Conn Iggulden's Julius Caesar and Genghis Khans books, and G.A. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Connor
Wonderful!
I love Bernard Cornwall books! I have read all the Alfred books available so far and was looking for a Bernard Cornwall "fix" before the next Alfred paperback is available. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Annabelle
Finally...
I absolutely love this book, my dad told me to read it years ago and ever since I have loved all Cornwell's new chronicles. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Matt Edwards
Rich in events and characterization
I have read many King Arthur novels and together with the High Queen series by Nancy McKenzie this is the one I liked best. It is also my favourite Bernard Cornwell novel. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Gary Selikow
The Winter King
Just finished reading the book, like most books written by Bernard Cornwell a very
good read. Although fiction I think it gives the reader some idea as to how people... Read more
good read. Although fiction I think it gives the reader some idea as to how people... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. George Ellis
The Winter King
I've been wanting to read this one for a while, I guess because I like the BBC's Merlin and I wanted to read something Arthurian. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Steve D
Forget Fantasy : Think Reality
Another great read from Mr Cornwell.
Forget all the fantasy nonsense about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table etc etc. Read more
Forget all the fantasy nonsense about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table etc etc. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Suenos6
amazing
throughly enjoyed this book. one of the best books i have ever read. The whole series is fantastic. great read.
Published 7 months ago by Helen
Cornwalls best ever books
I have read alot of Bernard Cornwall ..although his main characters..Richard Sharpe ..Thomas Hookton ..Derfel ect, in essence are the same person. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Brian Daniels
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