Uhtred's Feast: Inside the World of The Last Kingdom
by
Bernard Cornwell & Suzanne Pollak
Order:
USA
Can
Harper, 2023 (2023)
Hardcover, CD, e-Book
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
I
have enjoyed the
The Last Kingdom
since the beginning, both the book and TV series. They follow the tumultuous life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg (born a Saxon but raised a Dane), as King Alfred and his successors gradually unite the warring Saxon kingdoms, usually with Uhtred's at times reluctant help.
T
his companion book serves up an explanation of how the author came to write these works; historical backgrounds to the era; sixty intriguing recipes of Anglo-Saxon edibles, such as
Barley Flatbread
,
Oyster Stew
and
Pease Pudding
; and three short stories (
The First Victory
,
The Gift of God
and
The Last Shield Wall
). Note that ingredients like a pig's head might be a bit challenging.
C
ornwell tells us how he
'was raised on the coast of Essex, a place of marshes, tidal creeks and rivers'
, and layered with history. He also tells us of his own personal connection to Bebbanburg through his natural father Oughtred. Hence the name of his fictional Uhtred, and his telling of the story of the long and brutal creation of England. Fans will devour
Uhtred's Feast
, and long for seconds.
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