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  • The Pale Horseman

  • The Last Kingdom Series, Book 2
  • By: Bernard Cornwell
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
  • Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,108 ratings)
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The Pale Horseman cover art

The Pale Horseman

By: Bernard Cornwell
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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Summary

A Saxon raised by Vikings. A pagan fighting for a Christian King. The conflict at the heart of a hero will be played out in the fight for England.

It is 877. Across the kingdoms of Britain the Danes are gaining strength. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a pagan warrior, must decide who he will align with: the Vikings who raised him or Alfred, King of the West Saxons.

As the Danes make for Wessex and threaten to destroy the kingdom, Uhtred will forge an uneasy alliance with the king, to lead the last remaining Saxon army in a battle that will be a fight for the very existence of England.

©2005 Bernard Cornwell (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

Praise for The Pale Horseman:

"Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation." (Daily Mail)
"Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched." (Observer)
"It is stirring stuff, and few writers are better qualified than Cornwell to do justice to the excitement of the times…Ninth-century Britain and a master of storytelling - it is a marriage made in heaven." (Sunday Telegraph)
"Cornwell's mastery of historical sources and his aptitude for battle scenes is well established…the language, and particularly the dialogue, is raw and unarchaic, rich in insults and Anglo-Saxon expletives." (Times Literary Supplement)

What listeners say about The Pale Horseman

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

great narrator

the narrator does an amazing job. he makes tgey characters sound properly different. the books are amazing as well as tgey writer knows very well what he's doing.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great listen

The story continues at a rapid pace with uthred torn between his loyalty to the Saxons and Earl Ragnar. This in my opinion is even better that the first book and I am starting the third book immediately. Fantastic

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent. Brilliant performance.

If you could sum up The Pale Horseman in three words, what would they be?

A superb buy.

What other book might you compare The Pale Horseman to, and why?

The whole series and all Bernard Cornwell's books. They are credible and engaging. Full of excitement and characters you care about.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Keeble – was your favourite?

His performance captures the essence of Ughtred. The tone of voice expresses such emotions, and doubts. Such a shame he hasn't recorded the whole series.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Absolutely. Both for the story and the performance. (I'm now waiting for more in the series.)

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2 people found this helpful

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Great story, excellent narrator.

I'm a fan of Bernard Cornwell and really enjoyed this series. The writing skill is outstanding, characters are engaging, plot is intriguing but the best part is the depth of the research into the birth of England. Last but not least is the performance of the narrator. Jonathan Keeble is great.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Another great book

A brilliantly written and book by Bernard Cornwell and wonderfully narrated by Jonathan Keeble. The way the narrator is able to do the Danish, English and Brithonic accents are fantastic.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

likeable characters

Fun story, much like the first in the series. a little bit samey but entertaining enough.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful!

Great story, great narrator! I really enjoyed this. So hard to get time to read and I have really got into audible!

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  • Overall
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five star ten out of ten

book 1 and 2 fabulous narrator great cant wait to start 3 intend to hear the whole series

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Honestly amazing

Takes you to a time and place that is forgotten, but the glimpse of modern day England can see there origin here.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping

This book series is brilliant even a second time round revisiting after a few years.

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