Uhtred’s Feast: Inside the world of The Last Kingdom

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Here’s the official description of Uhtred’s Feast from Cornwell’s publisher HarperCollins, which sheds a bit more light on what exactly readers (or aspiring medieval chefs) can expect: I was mostly interested in the recipes and they didn't disappoint me. They were adapted to our modern palates and they were easy. And since a lot of people don't eat turnips or liver anymore, they could even find 'new' foods in this book. WELCOME TO UHTRED’S FEASTThe Last Kingdom is one of the most successful historical fiction series of our time, telling the epic story of the birth of England, and introducing one of the greatest ever fictional heroes: the iconic Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Saxon-born, Norse-raised, warrior and rebel.The final Last Kingdom book was published in 2020, but for the author the story felt unfinished: there were some Uhtred tales he still wanted to tell, and over the course of writing the books he’d become fascinated by some elements of the Anglo-Saxon world that it wasn’t possible to fully explore in the novels.When he met renowned chef Suzanne Pollak, the idea for Uhtred’s Feast was born. And here Bernard Cornwell tells those additional Uhtred stories, showing us the man behind the shield – as a young boy, as Alfred’s advisor, and as prince – while Suzanne brings his world to life through beautifully crafted recipes which open a door into the Anglo-Saxon home . . . Uhtred’s Feast: Inside the world of The Last Kingdom (The Last Kingdom #13.5) by Bernard Cornwell – eBook Details

So when he met renowned chef Suzanne Pollak, the idea for Uhtred’s Feast was born. Featuring 80 beautifully crafted recipes that open a door into the Saxon home, as well as three completely new Uhtred short stories that show us the hero beyond the battlefield, this is a Last Kingdom book like never before.” The first section provided a fascinating introduction of a brief overview of the history of England. This was especially with regards to how it tied in with the Last Kingdom books. It is wonderful to be provided with the author's thoughts and feelings towards this character that we have all grown to love so much. This book gave Cornwell the opportunity to investigate further into the day to day living of the time. Definitely a book for those who want to complete their Uhtred collection but by no means one of the best ones. It is exactly as advertised, so no complaints there. I knew going in that a lot of the book was going to be factual food information and associated recipes. I’ve always found that topic mildly interesting without being fascinated by it, so the fact that it fills about half the book meant it was never going to get 5 stars from me. I’m sure the recipes are fine and that those really interested in such things will thoroughly enjoy them.

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In this engaging social history New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, “the most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today” (Wall Street Journal), completes his epic Last Kingdom series with this companion book featuring three exclusive short stories and sixty recipes that bring Uhtred’s world to life as never before. The three short stories by Cornwell were quite nice. If you want more of Uhtred's adventures, we can see him as a young boy, as a mature and solid warlord and in his last shield wall at around 85 years of age. Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love. The short tales included are well written, as always, but left me wanting more. One recounted an episode with lessons from his childhood, another an episode when priests question him to determine whether King Arthur merits Sainthood, and finally (what appears to be) the last battle we readers know of (up to this point…). As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.

For anyone interested in trying a recipe from the Dark Ages, Uhtred’s Feastoffers a sundry of recipes for a celebration steeped in rich traditions and engaging tales about a pagan warrior’s first victory in childhood, his relationship to the Christian King Alfred, and a battle in his later years.”— Historical Novels Review The final Last Kingdom book was published in 2020, but for the author the story felt unfinished: there were some Uhtred tales he still wanted to tell, and over the course of writing the books he'd become fascinated by some elements of the Anglo-Saxon world that it wasn't possible to fully explore in the novels. The Last Kingdom is one of the most successful historical fiction series of our time, telling the epic story of the birth of England, and introducing one of the greatest ever fictional heroes: the iconic Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Saxon-born, Norse-raised, warrior and rebel. Kate Elton, m.d. at HarperFiction, acquired world language rights to Uhtred’s Feast from Anthony Goff at David Higham Associates. It will publish in the UK on 23rd May 2023 with Harper publishing in the US on 2nd April, 2024. Fictional history is not real history, novelists leave that to real historians, but our books must be authentic, and authenticity is in the mundane details: What did they wear? How did they travel? What did they eat?’After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean. The Last Kingdom is one of the most successful historical fiction series of our time. The novels tell the epic story of the birth of England and introduces one of the greatest ever fictional heroes: the iconic Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the Saxon-born, Norse-raised warrior and rebel. In this lively compendium, Bernard Cornwell revisits Uhtred’s realm, illuminating elements of the Anglo-Saxon world he couldn’t fully explore in his novels. HarperCollins has landed a “fascinating” companion to The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell and chef Suzanne Pollak.