
The Burning Land
The Saxon Chronicles, Book 5
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy for $24.29
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
John Lee
-
By:
-
Bernard Cornwell
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.
©2010 Bernard Cornwell (P)2010 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...




















People who viewed this also viewed...









Any additional comments?
I have listened to most of the books in this series, and John Lee's narration is the only one that didn't really work for me. His style is a bit too "actorly". The pace is too constant, and the almost robotic rise and fall of the sentences started to send me to sleep after a while. It was like listening to Toast of London doing the voice over for a Sat Nav. Didn't help that he used different pronunciations of names from all the other narrators. Great book of course.John Lee's narration didn't work for me
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
loved it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Captivating.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
narrator??
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you could sum up The Burning Land in three words, what would they be?
Fascinatingly written historyWhat other book might you compare The Burning Land to and why?
I can't think of anything that compares other than the breadth of Herman Wouk on WW!!. It's a total experience - both a history of characters and of people groups.What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Narrator brings so much to the story. The accents, the easy transition between characters.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, I think I listened in just three or four sittings (or walkings).I've learned so much
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Another great story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I miss previous narrators, but I got used to him.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good but...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great story but….
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narrator is terrible and I struggled to finish the audiobook of The Burning Land. Admittedly, John Lee’s performance whilst reading of the final battle at Beamfleot is much better than at the beginning, where when Uhtred shouts, “Shield Wall!” as if he’s asking one to pass the salt and pepper at dinner. Some of his exaggerated pronunciations reminded me of Count Dracula in old Vampire movies.
I don’t know why Jonathan Keeble left as a narrator of the Saxon Tales as his depiction of Uhtred as an old warrior, telling his life’s story, is the best of the bunch. I’ve loved Keeble’s narration in the War Lord and Archer’s Tale series, and his is by far my favorite Uhtred.
Lee does pronounce Beamfleot correctly, but slaughters other names, such as Steapa and Gisela.
The BBC series is good, but does not always reflect the book plots which are intricate and much better. The bees 🐝 know.
Historical fiction at its finest.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.