The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Chronicles Series #2) Reviews

• A Rousing Saga of the Saxons vs. the Danes & the Vikings!

  
  By AZGG43SRINSA3 on 2006-01-18
  This novel is the sequel to THE LAST KINGDOM and it continues the exciting tale of Uhtred and King Alfred (better known as Alfred the Great). Uhtred and King Alfred's relationship is still tenuous at best, however, Uhtred is has formed respect for this resilient king. Uhtred is still divided between his allegiance to King Alfred and his Danish foster-brother, Ragnar.
  
  He knows that in the great battle that is to come he must choose between them. Uhtred is ultimately unhappy with the wife and farm he is given by Alfred as there is a great debt attached to it. He's bored and misses his raiding days. He eventually embarks on a raid with his former shipmates (under King Alfred) and disguises his ship as a Danish/Viking raider. His raiding adventures bring him to the Shadow Queen; Iseult who leaves with him after her husband's kingdom is destroyed.
  
  The adventures continue and you can feel Uhtred frustrations with both King Alfred and his former allies. This second installment was even better than the first and I look forward to the next with great anticipation!
  
  
  
  

• Excellent sequel

  
  By A3LSQB1BP8C14G on 2006-02-11
  Uhtred is back with a vengeance in this continuation of Cornwell's treatment of the reign of Alfred the Great. Born a Northumbrian ealdorman, but raised by the Danes who captured him, Uhtred is a man with mixed loyalties. He loves and respects the pagan Danes, and dislikes the Christian Saxons, but is drawn to those who speak his language and share his heritage.
  
  Uhtred is a typical Cornwell hero--brash, proud, and sometimes unthinking. However, he does manage to be a sympathetic character, and we admire his courage and loyalty. Cornwell exercises his fascination with ancient feminine magic by introducing Iseult, a Briton "shadow queen" with whom Uhtred promptly becomes infatuated.
  
  It is Alfred's struggle with the Danes that drives this story, however. Will he manage to pluck victory from the jaws of defeat? You will find out after one of Cornwell's famous battle descriptions, and will be waiting impatiently for the next volume in this series.
  
  
  

• Bernard Cornwell just keeps getting better and better!

  
  By A3F9ZXM1BNKWLL on 2006-09-20
  In this second novel of what I have independently dubbed (and forgive a fan's presumption, Mr. Cornwell) the 'Uhtred Series'; the hard fighting, hard drinking and hard wenching hero, is for my money probably the best historical portrait I've ever seen.
  In THE LAST KINGDOM, where we are introduced to Uhtred as a young boy, the ending of the book as he grows to a young man, just leaves you wanting more. Happily for all lovers of real history mixed with compelling characters, Bernard Cornwell has obliged.
  As a writer and former history teacher, I am so in awe of the way in which he has taken a character out of the 'dark ages' of warring Saxons and Danes and brought him to vivid life. Especially since it would have been so easy to turn this sword wielding protagonist into a cartoon 'Conan the Barbarian' type hero. Mr Cornwell doesn't let that happen. Uhtred lops off heads where needed, steals when it's expedient and romps with abandon even though it inevitably leads to tragic consequences.
  I've read the majority of Bernard Cornwell's work and while the history and charaters are always first rate, I can say without reservation, that The Last Kingdom and Pale Horseman, are his best yet.
  Write quickly Mr. Cornwell - I can't wait for the next!
  
  
  

• Politics and diplomacy rather than the shield wall

  
  By A1TDBQ7KQUNPZE on 2005-11-18
  I was expecting a rousing tale such as the one found in The Last Kingdom. Not to say this novel is bad - just not what I expected.
  
  The tale continues to follow the times and trials of Uther Rangardson as the Danes invade Britain. I expected more of the same type of battles, hardships, and character development that was found in the previous novel, but this book tends to lean more towards Uther caught in the turmoil as King Alfred struggles to regain his throne.
  
  Because it is Cornwell, I liked the style and the writing, but the story was not one of his best. I still recommend it for anyone who has read The Last Kingdom. Just be prepared for lots of dialogue and less blood.
  
  

• The Clash of Steel, Roaring Insults , Death and Bloodlust on the Shield Wall

  
  By A37GRFP6VMUXKT on 2006-08-26
  Bernard Cornwell, perhaps our best writer of the historical adventure novel today, again scores high with the second book in his Saxon Stories. I'm a devoted follower of Cornwell, and in my opinion, these books rank with the better Sharpe stories and exceed The Heretic.
  
  The Pale Horseman tells the historical story of the 9th-century Danish (Norse or 'Viking') invasion and Alfred's struggle for the survival of Wessex and his idea of a united England. The Danes have already defeated Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia. Then the Danes broke the truce and Alfred's kingdom shrunk to an area of vast swamps and tidal flats known as the Somerset Levels.
  
  With the help of our fictional warrior, Uhtred, a man caught between loyalty and desire, Alfred rallies the fyrd - a people's army of sorts - to the great battle of Ethandun in 878 CE.
  
  Alfred's victory saved Wessex and indeed the possibility of "England" - a Danish victory and perhaps that island would be called Daneland (although had the Danes never invaded Alfred would never have had the opportunity to unite the disparate Saxon kingdoms). In any event, much remains to be done. Alas, we must await Cornwell's third installment, The Lords of the North due out in the US in January 2007.
  
  Highly recommended for fans of Cornwell or anyone who enjoys historical adventure stories. The battle descriptions put the reader right in the clash of steel, the chanting, the roaring insults, banging of shields, blood, earthy human odors, the bloodlust, the horrible injuries and brutal deaths.
  
  
  
• Ninth Century Battles
  By A3BH49ZKESHDID on 2006-03-05
  This is an historical novel set in the southwest of ninth century England (Wessex). Few actual records survive from that time period as most records were in monasteries that were sacked and burned. Other records would have been in manor houses that met a similar fate. The author has revised a few points of history to match the story, but most of the main facts are correct enough, or as much as can be determined from the accounts which survived.
  
  The main story deals with King Alfred's battles with the Danes, culminating at Ethandun in 878 AD. While the actual historical details are not known, it is quite probably true that the Danes had the stronger army. It is known that the Saxons won the battle at Ethandun, and drove the Danes out of Wessex. The details of the battle found in this novel are fictional.
  
  The present story is told by the fictional warrior Uhtred, a pagan of mixed ancestry who could just as easily have fought fot the Danes, but finds himself pledged to fight for Alfred. He is with Alfred, hiding out on an island in the marshes when, as Uhtred puts it, the kingdom is reduced to the king, a bishop, four priests, two soldiers, the king's pregnant wife, two nursemaids, a tavern wench, the king's two young children, and a shadow queen that the priests regard as a witch. But, as Yogi Berra put it, "It's not over 'til it's over." West Saxons were still loyal to the king, and he could raise the fyrd to form an army. The army gathers slowly, a combination of trained soldiers, who are well equipped, and farmers who are armed with whatever.
  
  Some Saxons had allied themselves with the Danes, but others remain loyal to King Alfred, and there are some suprising loyalties. A former opponent of Uhtred becomes a loyal follower after being rescued. Uhtred also rescues a young nun who was ravished by the Danes, and he must deal with Alfred who wants to put himself in positions of danger (these were the days when kings led their armies into battle, none of the modern business of staying home while they sent others out to fight). When it comes down to the final battle, women show they can fight when they need to, but Uhtred loses his lover.
  
  The general attitudes (social, religious, etc.) and standards of living are probably fairly accurate. Religious attitudes have not changed much between the 9th century and the 21st century, i.e., people honor their own religion but everyone else is a heathen or infidel.
  
  It was common for armies to burn, rape, and pillage, and that continued into the 20th century. The only reason for taking prisoners was to obtain concubines, slaves, or hostages that could be held for ransom. Anyone who could not fit into one of those categories was killed. Genocide was a common practice. Armies were like a plague moving across the land.
  
  The attitude of allowing hostages to be killed was also fairly common. When one of my own ancestors was being held by a king who threatened to kill him, his father told the king that he had other sons. Family members could be sacrificed if it was to a person's advantage. Barbarian attitudes tended to prevail on both sides. Being a Christian did not make one a saint.
  
  Parallels can be found between the success of Alfred in raising the Saxons against the Danes, and the later success of Robert I (Robert the Bruce) in raising the Scots against the English. But that is another story. The Danes were finally defeated by Brian in Ireland, and the Saxons in England in the 11th century, and never seemed to be major players on the scene after that.
  
  
• Less Action, but more excitement
  By A1MEZAOW25UL5L on 2006-01-18
  If you're looking for a sequel that is better than the original then look no further. The Pale horseman is a great book by a great author. It does have less battles than The Last Kingdom but far exceeds expectations with the great plot and character buildings. I can't wait for the final part in this trilogy.
  
  
• Cornwell is the Master
  By A24E9MODPHQVCT on 2006-02-01
  Bernard Cornwell is the master of historical fiction. I didn't think he could write a better series of books than his Arthurian trilogy, but "The Pale Horseman" puts this series slightly ahead. I have actually laughed out loud and jumped up in triumph while reading this book. "The Pale Horseman" is in a very tight race with "Shogun" as my favorite novel. Well done, Mr. Cornwell.
  
  
• Slow start - amazing finish.
  By A1CD0HMQGHY1VX on 2006-02-18
  I had to think a long while before giving this book only 4 stars. However, this continuation of the story of Uhtred and Alfred the Great started painfully slow for me. The author provided A LOT of background information from the first book and while it was a nice refresher before picking up the story, it seemed as if he repeated himself far too often in regard to Uhtred's dislike of Alfred. It almost felt as if the author didn't know where to go with the story and so was almost "thinking out loud" yet filling pages in the process while the story lagged. I expressed my dislike of the book's opening to an author friend who encouraged me to press on saying the book picked up well in the middle. He was correct -by the middle of the book, the story was moving and the "cliff hangers" at the end of each chapter left me salavating for more of the story. I really loved the book - after about the first 90 pages or so. Excitement reigned supreme and I could not turn the pages fast enough! I closed the book hungry for more and eagerly anticpate the 3rd in the series! Cornwell spins an amazing tale when he gets going - his characters are vivid and interesting. His stories are gripping and addictive. I highly recommend this book but have to encourage lovers of The Last Kingdom not to be discouraged at the slow start in The Pale Horseman.
  
  
• GREAT HISTORICAL TALE
  By A1AFXJ8U72MD6L on 2006-01-27
  THE PALE HORSEMEN is the second book in the Cornwell series focusing on England before it was England. Unlike the first book, there's less fighting and more political maneuvering and focus on relationships.
  
  HISTORY: at this time England was something of a bunch of Saxon Kingdoms. Seven, if memory serves. The Saxons had actually taken most of the Kingdom from the Britons & Welsh and had held a good chunk for several hundred years. Now, it's the late 800s and the Danes are seriously beating the Saxons up. The first book opens with only one Saxon Kingdom remaining and the others having already fallen.
  
  Tale focuses on a young man, who was raised by Danes and appreciates many of their values, but, for various reasons from the first book, he has chosen to side with the remaining Saxon Kingdom, Wessex.
  
  This is a good tale for those interested in, well, shield wall warfare, lusty adventuring and a perspective on the Saxon and Danish viewpoints. Also, the take on the future Alfred the Great is interesting b/c the main character has no love for him. And, that's funny because Alfred is the only male monarch of England to be termed the great . .. all for him holding England together.
  
  Look for the legend where a fishwife chews out Alfred the Great, not knowing who he is, when he burns her cakes.
  
  
• Historical Fiction at its Best
  By A3O6SNAN3CXJDP on 2006-02-20
  Kudos to Mr. Cornwell for bringing attention to this much-neglected era in Britain's history. And he has done it with a compelling, engaging narrative that holds the reader's attention from the first page to the last. His depiction of the climactic battle between Alfred and Guthrum--though entirely fictional, at least insofar as the details of the conflict are concerned--is superb. I anxiously await the next installment.
  
  
• Alfred Stands Against the Dane's
  By APRY1W9VFEFQ6 on 2006-02-25
  The Pale Horseman is the sequel to the best selling Last Kingdom and continues the the tale of the great warrior Uhtred, born in Northumberland. Raised as a Viking but he is now married to a Saxon girl. He is a pagan and his alliance with the pious Alfred the Great does not sit easily on the shoulders of either man.
  
  However after a disastrous truce with the Dane's, only Alfred's family and Uhtred and a small number of his companions are left of the leaders in Wessex and they have been driven deeper and deeper into a swamp, where they are helpless to try to gather forces to stand against the Dane's
  
  The Vikings now hold most of England and it has been a disastrous time for the Saxons. Uhtred find himself torn between the growing respect he has for Alfred and the love he has for his Danish foster brother and the all conquering Vikings. He has to wrestle with his heart and decide whether to try and rally the Saxons and drive out the Vikings, or change sides and go to his foster brother.
  
  
• History searching for a screenplay
  By A33WX33RUQ6KOY on 2006-03-13
  As with many of Mr. Cornwell's historical fictions, this is a wonderful read. Combinings a good narrative with well researched historical trivia from an era lost to the modern audience, you could understand why this author translates well to visual mediums like TV or film.
  
  I have enjoyed his characters and understand the liberties he may take in assuming the tenor and content of the imagined conversations which historical figures engage in. I am always able to accept these books for what they are, ripping good stories. I am looking forward to the next installment!
  
  If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Cornwell, I reccomend his Sharpe series as well.
  
  
• I Wish More Could Write Like Cornwall
  By A1ECZ0W1K3GBTO on 2006-03-29
  I've read a lot of fantasy novels that have similar settings to this book. I can't remember being so immersed in what seems like a real midevil setting. The dirt, poverty, chaos seem so believable and real. Comic books and fantasy novels always claim to have abiguous heroes but Uthred had got to be the ultimate anti-hero. The thing is you can understand why and it all makes a crazy kind of sense. The other thing Cornwall gets right is the clash of cultures that resulted in the rich culture of England that still exists to this day. This is a real page-turner yet the drama is not made up of just giant heroic acts but seemingly small things. There is one key act by a minor character that will make you say "if he didn't do that, there would be no England" and Cornwell makes that completely believable. I'm going to be reading a lot more of Cornwall's work and I advise others to do the same. One word of warning... midevil combat is pretty gory and violent and you won't be spared that.
  
  
• Average at best
  By A3NL1KW56O3JR8 on 2006-04-25
  Even though this is a short book (350 pages) the author can't seem to find a plot. There is a definite lack of direction. Sure, there is the meta-story of the King Alfred and the Danish invasion, but I can read a "traditional" history for that. All around, the book is average; not terrible but not that great either. I get the impression that this author churns out a new historical novel ever year or two regardless of whether he actually has anything to say.
  
  
• Uhtred comes of age
  By A2HWUC980HM1NP on 2006-09-01
  The Pale Horseman literally starts where The Last Kingdom left off as Uhtred returns after defeating Ubba. With the same vivid imagery and intriguing characters The Pale Horseman is a fitting continuation of the tale. An immensely enjoyable page turner that takes the reader though some of the darkest days in Saxon history The Pale Horseman provides a poignant and believable account of the terror and turmoil that overtook Wessex when the Danes finally invaded in force. In this part of the tale Uhtred proves himself an extraordinary warrior and begins to find a reason to respect and support King Alfred. Cornwell introduces several new characters to the cast and all are wonderful additions. It is a very quick read and a real page turner, I found myself at the end of the book wanting more, but alas the next part of the tale is not yet available.
  
  
• Terrific Book
  By AUCXT9K30SHYF on 2006-09-01
  I'm not sure I would like Uhtred if I met him in person but I am fascinated by him. He is so true to himself and follows his own code of ethics no matter what the people around him think. The description of Alfred in the swamp and just how close England came to being Danish was fascinating. I had never heard that story before this book.
  But what really captivated me was the final battle scene. It was so real, so vivid that I actually felt like I was there holding my shield in the Shield Wall. It was the first description of a battle that I could actually understand why some men participate in war. I was weary, tired and yet, oddly exuberant. I actually cried at the end.
  I was so hooked that I ordered the third book from Amazon U.K. as I couldn't wait until the Jan. release in the U.S.
  While I wait for the fourth book eagerly, I try to figure out who would play Uhtred in the movies. Perhaps Heath Ledger. Any ideas?
  
  
• 
  By on 2007-03-16
  The Pale Horseman
  
  "I heard the enemy shields touching, saw Danes' wild eyes over the round rims, saw their glances as they gathered their strength. Then they shouted and came to kill us." Uthred is a West Saxon in the Viking times. Uthred takes a boat with his old friends and heads out to sea to try and get rich. But when he had come back, he had made many enemies so he tries to raise his own army. He is deciding with himself whether to fight alongside the Danes in the upcoming war but ends up fighting for King Alfred. This is book two I the series so there was no real ending it just left Uthred after the battle talking about his losses. I enjoyed reading this book because of Uthred's conflict with himself about who to fight for, his days at sea, and the epic battles.
  
  When Uthred was young, he was captured by Danes and when they tried to kill him his foster brother convinced them not to. After the incident the Danes treated Uthred fairly and like one of them. When Uthred was released he could not claim lordship over his own land because his uncle had. Throughout the story Uthred promises himself he will claim his land one day but can't decide whether to fight the Danes.
  
  Uthred spent days at sea in a ship disguised as Viking longboat. It was interesting because some of his crew would not kill priests because they were Christian themselves. It was fun to read how angry Uthred would get in mid combat because his crew would not kill other Christians.
  
  The battle scenes were graphically described. There were intensely written battles and the author describes many different styles of combat. Uthred was not always loyal to who he fought. He actually allied with the Danes and slaughtered a British village and split the loot.
  
  Overall this was a great book and I give it five stars for the battles the sea and Uthred's internal conflict. I cannot wait for the next book in the series
  
  
  
• Better than the first
  By A39SH5MWFURID5 on 2006-02-07
  Once again, Bernard Cornwell delivers. His handling of the historic material is responsible, yet invigorating in his capacity to recreate the feeling of the day. I greatly appreciate the attention Cornwell pays to maintaining the events that have been reported in his sources. He blends them in to create a seemless tale that moves through history, leaving us with real characters that relate to the reader today.
  
  
• An entertaining mix of action and adventure with historical research and scholarship
  By A2F6N60Z96CAJI on 2006-02-17
  In THE LAST KINGDOM, his previous novel of ninth-century England, Bernard Cornwell reminded us that "Viking" is in fact a verb and not a proper noun. The people we now think of as Vikings were then known as the "Danes," the same individuals who now populate Denmark and Minnesota. Viking is not who they were, it was what they did --- and what they did was wage war, wreak havoc, and generally make hairy nuisances of themselves to the outside world. Going Viking meant you were going for mead and plunder and battle and the blood of enemies congealing in a pool at your feet. It was something we'd now call a lifestyle choice.
  
  The second book in Cornwell's ninth-century trilogy is THE PALE HORSEMAN --- referring both to the deadly horseman of the Christian apocalypse and a fictional Danish warrior, Svein of the White Horse, who leads one of the invading forces into Saxon England. The narrator is Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a displaced Saxon noble whose Northumbrian holdings were overrun by the Danes and treacherous relatives when he was young. In the first book he was captured by the Danes and grew to be a fierce warrior in the shield wall. This novel follows Uhtred dealing with his split loyalties --- both to his pagan gods and Danish training, and to Arthur, King of the West Saxons, who is trying to rid England of Danish influence and unify the country under one crown.
  
  In his heart, Uhtred would rather leave civilization behind. It has brought him nothing --- a loveless marriage, a debt-ridden estate in Devonshire, and the enmity of the Church and his fellow Saxons (who nickname him "Uhtred the Wicked"). On the other hand, going Viking can get Uhtred the silver he needs to pay off his debts and the fame he needs to raise a battle host to storm the castle that is his birthright.
  
  If you think all of this sounds too crude and violent for your taste, you are almost assuredly right. (The bit about the congealing blood of the enemies probably gave it away.) You'd be much closer to the mark, however, if you said that it all sounds too formulaic --- that it's a typical tale of personal ambition set against the backdrop of war and battles. The pattern and even the plot twists will be familiar to everyone who's read Cornwell's novels about the Napoleonic Wars or (for example) C.S. Forester's Hornblower series.
  
  However, two factors contribute to making THE PALE HORSEMAN readable and enjoyable for those who aren't already fans of the genre. First, Cornwell is a superb amateur historian and devotes special care to making sure that his work reflects the history of the time about which he writes. This is a special challenge for the ninth century, given the paucity of contemporary sources and the linguistic challenges of dealing with Middle English. (Cornwell limits this, wisely, to place names and provides a handy translation guide at the front of the book.)
  
  Cornwell's scholarship is most evident in the character of Alfred the Great, who the narrator Uhtred often treats as a creature of contempt. Alfred is portrayed as an effective yet reluctant war leader, but one whose judgment is often sacrificed to his faith. Alfred's Christian piety leads him into superstition, and he is occasionally manipulated by his bishops --- who tend to do things such as assume that God will drop fire on the heads of the invading Danes. (The impious Uhtred gulls Alfred into approving one particular stratagem by claiming it is based on the parting of the Red Sea by Moses.) Cornwell's focus on Alfred's religion marks him as a man of his time and anchors us in the ninth-century mindset.
  
  The other factor, thankfully, is that Cornwell's books are simply fun. THE PALE HORSEMAN is a blood-soaked romp of swords, shields, daggers, duels, pagan shadow queens, and all sorts of other treats for the reader (not to mention that the descriptions of ninth-century battles tend to drive out the dreary realities of twenty-first century war). The Uhtred character is a little too stolid to be compelling, but he's always in the thick of battle, and Cornwell takes second place to no one in explaining both the strategy and carnage of historic battlefields.
  
  For those who like mixing their action and adventure with sound historical research and scholarship, THE PALE HORSEMAN is as welcome as a long draught of mead or a bag of silver coins. And if you have enough of those Danish butter cookies left over from the holidays to enjoy while you're reading, so much the better.
  
  --- Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds, who writes the "Northbound" blog at http://www.txreviews.com/blog and is hard at work on his second novel.
  
  
• A long awaited read.
  By AOPC53O0VWM80 on 2006-02-24
  I had tried to purchase this book whilst on holiday in England and it was out of print,so I ordered it via amazon and it was well worth the wait.Cornwell mingling of fact and fiction and his gripping style of writing leaves you with an unputdownable book if I had more time on my hands I would have read it in one sitting.
  
  
• Cornwell's Anglo-Saxon continues . . . and crackles!
  By A680RUE1FDO8B on 2006-03-01
  Bernard Cornwell continues the saga of Uhtred, Alfred the Great, the Danes and the struggle to create England. Cornwell's predecessor novel, "The Last Kingdom," was great . . . and "The Pale Horseman" is better.
  
  Uhtred is a minor Saxon noble whose lands have been taken from him by his treacherous uncle who has aligned himself with the invading Danes. At 20, Uhtred is little more than a savage. Killing comes naturalle to him. Alfred the Great is the last surviving Saxon King, a man given to religious piety, which Uhtred has little use for. Uhtred spent time as a slave to the Danes and literally became one of them, a pagan warrior.
  
  "Horseman" begins with Uhtred being betrayed by a glory seeking noble who takes credit for Uhtred's victory in a battle described in "Kingdom." Uhtred is disfavored by the King and made to humble himself. Giving little heed to his oath of allegiance, Uhtred engages in a bit of free-lance piracy and, to cap things off, a bit of self-dispensed judgment, killing one of his workers.
  
  He is called to account for himself at Alfred's court. Trial by combat is interrupted by a Danish invasion.
  
  Alfred is driven into a swamp where, by chance, Uhtred joins him. From here Alfred is determined to retake his kingdom and, ultimately, unite all England.
  
  Cornwell is a superb storyteller. He brings the stark brutality of the age home with the resonance of swords clashing. Deftly he skewers the greedy religionists. His portraits of swaggering, ignorant, grasping petty nobles are swiftly drawn and piercing. Literally Cornwell produces the stink of the era, the ignorance, the coarseness of life. His battle scenes are marvels: you can feel the fear, the raw courage, the brutality of combat.
  
  This is the very height of adventure, particularly if you have a taste for history. Cornwell promises yet more on Alfred the Great and his uniting of England. I look forward to the next installment.
  
  Jerry
  
  
• Cornwell does it again
  By A1J26EX3XIL5DB on 2006-03-02
  Cornwell has found a niche in the pop historical fiction market. I contribute much of his success to his novels' readability. Most of them can be read in one sitting within a few hours, and The Pale Horseman is no exception. The reason is Cornwell's clear, crisp style and focus on dramatic storytelling. He sets a brisk pace, eschews exposition in favor of action, and avoids excessive adjectives and adverbs. Many of his books follow a formula: The protagonists are skillful warriors, less than virtuous but always loyal, and ruggedly handsome enough to attract well bred ladies. Cornwell excels at describing battles, and The Pale Horseman is at its best when Uhtred is killing someone. I like how Cornwell depicts soldiers as businessmen: Their business is killing, and they do it for wealth, women, and reputation. Most of his soldiers are not mindless brutes but clever, practical strategists. They don't like to risk losing men, ground, or fame. The novel also has a grim sense of humor. I recommend it to any fan of Cornwell, historical fiction, or military adventure.
  
  
• Great Book!
  By A1K99G39ZNPT8D on 2006-03-03
  My husband loves this author and I surprised him with this book for Valentines day and he loved it.
  
  
• Cornwell is simply the Best. No question.
  By A2FGM7M0BQ8NPL on 2006-03-06
  I must say I am disappiointed. Why? Because I'm pretty sure that no other book that I'll read immediately after this can hold a candle to this amazing work by Cornwell.
  
  This is the second installment of Cornwell's Saxon series. The first book, THE LAST KINGDOM set the stage for the events happening in this installment. I didnt think that it could get much better than THE LAST KINGDOM, but oh, I was wrong. THE PALE HORSEMAN has all the elements of the 1st book that made it great. This time around, however, there is a little less fighting and more politics. The pacing is done well and we're introduced to some new memorable characters. (A Christian priest in the shield wall!)
  
  Thank God that Cornwell puts out a book or two every year... Because soon we'll finish this series (maybe?) with the book, LORDS OF THE NORTH COUNTRY.
  
  BRILLIANT.
  
  
• The joy of battle
  By A38SMNGBNTNAR4 on 2006-04-05
  This is a fantastic follow-up to The Last Kingdom. While the style and subject matter of Cornwell's books rarely changes (war and warriors, women and pillaging), the overall story is king and it is told masterfully. Yes, at times it is overstated, formulaic and even clichéd in places, but Cornwell is one of those who focuses on the journey, rather than the end result. I read his books because they take me to a far off time and place and let me imagine a world such that I almost feel a part of it. It's not so much a history lesson as lived history. And its not a history that is lived by kings and princes, but one lived by the poor guy that stands in the front row of a shield wall, feeling his gorge rising and his bowels loosening in sheer terror. The king plays a bit-part as Uhtred, the deposed lord of lands he has not been in since he was 10, puppet of Alfred, more Dane than Englishmen, lone pagan in a throng of prayer-mad priests and monks, slashes and grinds and wisecracks his way to the forefront of any action.
  
  Next, I expect, Uhtred and his foster-brother, Earl Ragnar, have an appointment in Northumbria with Kjarten and Sven, on their way to Bebbanburg. At least I hope so.
  
  
  
• Uthred, Northumbrian, helps Alfred realize his fate
  By A2PNTEDGMOLMOY on 2006-04-07
  "The Pale Horseman," by Bernard Cornwell, continues Cornwell's "Saxon Stories" trilogy that began with "The Last Kingdom." Cornwell's title to the trilogy is probably more accurate than the popular description of these books as "Cornwell's story of Alfred the Great."
  
  It's true that Cornwell has chosen as the backbone of his story Alfred's defeat of the Danes (aka "Vikings," but Cornwell properly pointed out in "TLK" that "viking" is a verb) against seemingly impossible odds. Alfred is an important player in the books as the King of Wessex, the last of the four kingdoms of England that have not been conquered by the Danes.
  
  But this is not a story primarily about Alfred -- those looking for a hagiography of England's only officially "Great" king will be disappointed. "The Pale Horseman" is primarily the story of Uthred, a Saxon of Northumbria, who was raised by Danes, admires and loves them, but now finds himself fighting them alongside Alfred and the Saxons.
  
  Uthred and Alfred make for a jarring comparison, with Alfred generally getting the shorter end of the stick from Mr. Cornwell. Uthred is a fun character while Alfred is often disappointing. Uthred is a lusty pagan whereas Alfred is a pious Christian (to be fair, Cornwell makes clear that in his youth, Alfred did his fair share of wenching). Uthred is a mighty warrior, whereas Alfred is sickly and thin. Uthred knows that the Danes must be beaten with the sword, while Alfred is quick to offer Christian charity to his vanquished foes -- often to have those same foes rise up against him again. Uthred has faith in his pagan gods (who seem to be able to pull off a miracle or two every now and then), while Alfred doggedly follows the Christian god and his leech-like, ineffective priests. Uthred is a true warrior, Alfred is a poor politician.
  
  And so it goes. What saves "The Pale Horseman" from being a second-tier book is Cornwell's mastery of the details of the period. Short of a time machine, Cornwell's "Saxon Stories" are as good as it gets as far as tossing the reader into the harsh Wessex countryside -- this is a land of rough hills, dense swamps, bitter cold, numbing rain, and occasional splendour. Cornwell captures all of this with his trademark economy, and eventually you feel like you're walking and talking with Uthred and his comrades rather than reading about them.
  
  I have to say that "The Pale Horseman" is not my favorite Bernard Cornwell book. I don't think it rises to the heights he has attained with his other novels, and I think that may be more me than Cornwell. Cornwell's Alfred is an interesting character, but I grow impatient with him. The thesis of the books so far is that if Uthred hadn't been around, Alfred would never have amounted to much. At some point, Cornwell's going to have to show some of Alfred's mettle -- so far, Alfred has been Cornwell's most frustrating character since his take on Lancelot in the "Warlord" trilogy.
  
  And for some odd reason, the battle scenes in "Horseman" feel a bit truncated compared to Cornwell's other works. Nobody writes a better real-world battle scene than Cornwell, and while "Horseman" builds and builds and builds to a climactic battle, it doesn't quite deliver the goods in the way that so many other Cornwell battle scenes do. Hmm. Maybe he's just spoiled me over the years.
  
  As an aside, Cornwell takes an interesting step here and ever-so-slightly connects two trilogies. In Uthred's time, King Arthur is cherished by the Saxons as a warrior-king. Yet Uthred observes that Arthur was King of the Britons, and he fought the Saxons (the "Sais") -- in battles that Cornwell described so vividly in his earlier trilogy. Uthred wonders, if Arthur came back, as so many Saxons pray, wouldn't he just fight the Saxons, too, as well as the Danes? These are the kinds of unexpected thoughts that Uthred has that make him so much fun.
  
  Again, this is not Cornwell's best novel. But he's written about fifty excellent books so far, so we can't expect him to keep topping himself. If you're a fan of Cornwell's works, check this one out. If you haven't read Cornwell yet, I'd recommend starting with Richard Sharpe, or the "Warlord" trilogy, or "Stonehenge," or the "Grail Quest" trilogy, or "Redcoat," or . . .
  
  
• damn fine read
  By A276IR0YDXLX6I on 2006-07-14
  I purchased this book to help me pass time while recovering from surgery. Only problem was that I became so engrossed that i read it completely in one night.
  
  
• Good read
  By A2IBGHRQCPN8SN on 2006-07-28
  Pale Horseman was more satisfying to me than it's predecessor, mostly because it didn't have the "Who shot JR?" ending. Entertaining. Vivid. Maybe not as much on the personalities of Alfred or the other characters. Alfred was almost incidental in this novel, though it describes a turning point in English history.
  
  
• Blood, Sweat, Greed and Lust
  By AY2PZCQH2AXOL on 2006-08-08
  
  Well, the title is somewhat short of the Seven Deadly Sins. Mr. Cornwell has done it again on his second novel on Uhthred, Alfred and the Vikings. He has very well depicted killings, greeds and lusts among the characters he has described.
  
  This novel is the second of third of the Alfred series depicting Anglo-Saxon Britons with their final resistance to the Vikings. England would have been no more if the Vikings had won the war that time.
  
  Needless to say, I am giving this novel another five star, which I have also done so for the Last Kingdom (first in the Alfred series).
  
  

• Lords of the North: A Novel (Saxon Chronicles #3)
• The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Chronicles Series #1)
• Sword Song: The Battle for London
• The Winter King (The Arthur Books #1)
• Enemy of God (The Arthur Books #2)