The Pagan Lord

The Pagan Lord is the seventh novel in Bernard Cornwell’s number one bestselling series on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

Uhtred – sword of the Saxons, bane of the Vikings – has been declared outcast.

Peace in Britain has given Uhtred time to cause trouble – for himself. Branded a pagan abomination by the church, he sails north. For, despite suspecting that Viking leader Cnut Longsword will attack the Saxons again, Uhtred is heading for Bebbanburg, fearing that if he does not act now he will never reclaim his stolen birthright.

Yet Uhtred’s fate is bound to the Saxons. To Aethelflaed, bright lady of Mercia and to a dead king’s dream of England. For great battles must still be fought – and no man is better at that than Uhtred.

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.

Reviews

THE PAGAN LORD – 'The Times books of the Year 2013' pick

'A tense, powerful and compulsive story' THE TIMES

'Strong narrative, vigourous action and striking characterisation, Cornwell remains king of the territory he has staked out as his own' SUNDAY TIMES

'Blood, divided loyalties and thundering battles' THE TIMES

'A violent, absorbing historical saga, deeply researched and thoroughly imagined' WASHINGTON POST

Praise for Bernard Cornwell:

‘The best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive’ George R.R. Martin

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

‘He’s called a master storyteller. Really he’s cleverer than that’ TELEGRAPH

‘A phenomenal storyteller’ DAILY EXPRESS

‘A reminder of just how good a writer he is’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Nobody in the world does this better than Cornwell’ Lee Child

This is a magnificent and gory work' DAILY MAIL

'The historical blockbuster of the year' EVENING STANDARD

‘A runaway success’ OBSERVER

‘A master of storytelling’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

This is typical Cornwell, meticulously researched, massive in scope, brilliant in execution’ NEWS OF THE WORLD

About the author

Bernard Cornwell was born in London, raised in Essex and
worked for the BBC for eleven years before meeting Judy, his
American wife. Denied an American work permit he wrote a
novel instead and has been writing ever since. He and Judy
divide their time between Cape Cod and Charleston, South
Carolina.