The Last Kingdom
by Bernard Cornwell
★ Top 25 book of 2004 · #11 on Best Books of 2004
Set in ninth-century England, this saga follows Uhtred, a nobleman's son taken captive as a boy and raised by a Danish chieftain in Viking ways. Pulled between two father figures, he must decide where his true loyalty lies.
Best for: Readers who love sweeping historical adventure about Vikings and Anglo-Saxon England
The Last Kingdom is #11 on BookWard's Best Books of 2004, out of 48 2004 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Last Kingdom is about
Uhtred is a ten-year-old Northumbrian boy, heir to the fortress of Bebbanburg, when his father is killed in a failed attack on Danish-held York. Taken in by the Danish Jarl Ragnar, he is raised as one of the family and taught to fight. Meanwhile his uncle seizes Bebbanburg and the title that should be his.
The first in Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories, the novel follows Uhtred through Danish raids across East Anglia, Mercia and Wessex, then into the service of King Alfred. Torn between the man who raised him and the king he serves, Uhtred has to decide where he belongs. Gritty and fast-moving, it suits readers who like their history muddy, violent and full of loyalties that pull in two directions.
The Last Kingdom on the Best Books of 2004
The Last Kingdom came out in 2004. Of the 48 books first published in 2004 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #11 on our Best Books of 2004 list.
Why it made the list: 258 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (22 ratings); 20 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2004 list
- Rising Storm Erin Hunter, #9
- The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! Mo Willems, #10
- My Sister's Keeper Jodi Picoult, #12
- The Definitive Book of Body Language Allan Pease, #13
See all Best Books of 2004 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2003 Best Books of 2005.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 204 want to read it, 20 are reading it now and 34 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 from 22 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 65 | 55% |
| Reader love | 65 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 88 | 20% |
Questions about The Last Kingdom
When was The Last Kingdom published?
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell was first published in 2004.
Was The Last Kingdom one of the best books of 2004?
The Last Kingdom is #11 on BookWard's Best Books of 2004, out of 48 2004 books that cleared our data bar. 258 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (22 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
Why is The Last Kingdom on the Best Books of 2004 list?
258 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (22 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2004
- Darkly Dreaming Dexter Jeffry P. Lindsay, #1
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens Robert T. Kiyosaki, #2
- The Ruins of Gorlan John Flanagan, #3
- Alexander Hamilton Ron Chernow, #4
- Blink Malcolm Gladwell, #5
- She Comes First Ian Kerner, #6
See the full Best Books of 2004, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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