"It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns. In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined: A young boatbuilder's life is turned upside down when the only home he's ever known is raided...

In the middle years of the ninth century, the fierce Danes sotrmed onto British soil, hungry for spoils and conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to the ruthless invaders until but one realm remained. And suddenly the fate of all England--and the course of history--depended upon one man, one king.

Britain is in a state of uneasy peace. Northumbria's Viking ruler, Sigtryggr, and Mercia's Saxon queen, AEthelflaed, have agreed on a truce. And so England's greatest warrior, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, at last has the chance to take back the home his traitorous uncle stole from him so many years ago and which his scheming cousin still occupies.

Britain, early tenth century AD: a time of change. There are new raids by the Vikings from Ireland, and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of Mercia. A younger generation is taking over.

A fragile peace reigns in Wessex, Mercia and East Anglia. King Alfred's son Edward and formidable daughter, Aethelflaed, rule the kingdoms. But all around the restless Northmen, eyeing the rich lands and wealthy churches, are mounting raids. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the kingdoms' greatest warrior, controls northern Mercia from the strongly fortified city of Chester. But forces are gathering against him.

His blood is SaxonHis heart is VikingHis battleground is EnglandAnd while Uhtred might have regained his family's fortress, it seems that a peaceful life is not to be - as he is under threat from both an old enemy and a new foe. The old enemy comes from Wessex where a dynastic struggle will determine who will be the next king. And the new foe is Skoll, a Norseman, whose ambition is to be King of Northumbria and who leads a frightening army of wolf-warriors,...

With his 'Grail Quest', 'Warlord' and 'Sharpe' series Bernard Cornwell has cemented his position as a virtuoso of historical fiction. 'The Pale Horseman' is a novel of heroic deeds, bloody battles and the struggle to unite Britain in the face of a common enemy.

As Canute plots to become ruler of the entire Danish world, Thorfinn's only ambition is to see a harvest profitable enough to buy his own life back. But the fates of prince and slave will come together once again, as Canute plans to seize Ketil Farm from its kindhearted master. What sinister tricks does the have up his sleeve, and could they dash Thorfinn's hopes for freedom? Meanwhile, Einar's infatuation with Arnheid takes an unexpected turn when...

Gwyna is just a girl who is forced to run when her village is attacked and burned to the ground. To her horror, she is discovered, but it is Myrddin the bard, a traveler and spinner of tales, who has found her.

In fifth-century Britain, nine years after the destruction of their home on the island of Shalott brings her to live with her father and brothers in the military encampments of Arthur's army, seventeen-year-old Elaine describes her changing perceptions of war and the people around her as she becomes increasingly involved in the bitter struggle against the invading Saxons.