Uhtred’s Feast: Inside the world of The Last Kingdom

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As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War. Definitely a book for those who want to complete their Uhtred collection but by no means one of the best ones. It is exactly as advertised, so no complaints there. I knew going in that a lot of the book was going to be factual food information and associated recipes. I’ve always found that topic mildly interesting without being fascinated by it, so the fact that it fills about half the book meant it was never going to get 5 stars from me. I’m sure the recipes are fine and that those really interested in such things will thoroughly enjoy them.

Over the course of writing the Last Kingdom series, Bernard Cornwell discovered an increasing fascination for the Anglo-Saxon world: its people, their culture, and their domestic lives beyond the battlefield. And so when he met renowned chef Suzanne Pollak, someone with a passion for Anglo-Saxon cookery, Uhtred’s Feast was born.Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia. The stories I did like and thought they all worked quite well for me, a short story collection of events throughout his life would make a nice read I think. Salting has also been used for thousands of years. Soon after the Romans came to England in AD 43 they started developing saltworks along the east coast. …Later, Hellath du got the Anglo-Saxon name Northwich, meaning 'northern saltworks'. (The Anglo- Saxons called a saltwork a 'wich', so any place in England with 'wich' at the end at one time produced salt.)’ It’s a pretty exciting time for fans of The Last Kingdom. After a successful five-season run on Netflix, the popular historical drama will return next month with the film Seven Kings Must Die, which will wrap up the long journey of Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

Cornwell’s skill [is] in ageing his warrior-hero, who now creaks as he fights and is haunted by those he has loved and lost” - THE TIMES My name is Uhtred. I am the son of Uhtred, who was the son of Uhtred and his father was also called Uhtred . . . After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.

The best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive” - George R.R. Martin In this engaging social history New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, “the most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today” (Wall Street Journal), completes his epic Last Kingdom series with this companion book featuring three exclusive short stories and sixty recipes that bring Uhtred’s world to life as never before. The final Last Kingdom book was published in 2020, but for the author the story felt unfinished: there were some Uhtred tales he still wanted to tell, and over the course of writing the books he’d become fascinated by some elements of the Anglo-Saxon world that it wasn’t possible to fully explore in the novels. The first section provided a fascinating introduction of a brief overview of the history of England. This was especially with regards to how it tied in with the Last Kingdom books. It is wonderful to be provided with the author's thoughts and feelings towards this character that we have all grown to love so much. This book gave Cornwell the opportunity to investigate further into the day to day living of the time.

He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit. When he met renowned chef Suzanne Pollak, the idea for Uhtred’s Feast was born. And here Bernard Cornwell tells those additional Uhtred stories, showing us the man behind the shield – as a young boy, as Alfred’s advisor, and as prince – while Suzanne brings his world to life through beautifully crafted recipes which open a door into the Anglo-Saxon home . .I looked up at the stars and thought I had fought my last fight, faced my last shield wall, and was racing home to a loving woman, to good ale, and to Bebbanburg." The birth of England has been and is one of my great interests,” Cornwell said in a statement. “After two decades immersed in Anglo-Saxon history – an intense period of warring kingdoms and political rivalry – it is a pleasure to share some new stories of Uhtred throughout this time and present sides of life even beyond battle” Cornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother, who was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his birth mother's maiden name, Cornwell.