Bernard Cornwell The Last Kingdom Audiobook

Introduction and Origins00:00:00

Uhtred, the protagonist, recounts his origins as the son of an ealdorman in Northumbria. He introduces his claim to the land of Bebbanburg and the childhood event in 866 when he first encountered the raiding Danes, leading to the death of his elder brother.

The Fall of Northumbria00:23:01

Following the death of his brother and the subsequent rise of a great Danish fleet, the Northumbrian leaders Osbert and Aelle join forces to fight. Uhtred accompanies his father to war, only for the Northumbrian army to fall into a trap at Yoric (York).

Captivity and Ragnar00:59:15

Uhtred is captured by the Danes after the slaughter of his countrymen. Rather than being killed, he is taken under the wing of the Danish Earl Ragnar the Fearless, who spares him and begins integrating him into the Danish way of life.

Integration and Conflict01:33:38

Uhtred matures among the Danes, learning their customs, language, and ways of war. He develops a friendship with Ragnar's family but faces hostility from a boy named Sven, leading to a pivotal incident involving Ragnar's daughter, Thyra, and a subsequent legal reckoning through combat.