The Pale Horseman is the second book in Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories which currently extends to six books with more to come. It follows on from book 1 ‘The Last Kingdom’.
At the end of the first book, Uhtred of Bebbanburg was involved in a battle where he defeated the Danish warlord Ubba. After the battle Uhtred went to see his wife and son while Odda the younger rushed to King Alfred to claim the defeat of Ubba as his own. When Uhtred finds out, he confronts Odda and upsets Alfred.
When Uhtred returns home, not only is he fed up with Alfred’s extreme piety but he quickly becomes fed up with that of his wife Mildreth. Believing that he can no longer return to the Danes, to escape the boredom of home and his wife’s priests, Uhtred commandeers a ship and goes raiding in Cornwell – stealing huge amounts of money and finding himself a fiery Briton woman – Iseult. Eventually Uhtred is called to the Witan to account for his actions. His charge is to be settled in single combat with Steapa, a man he has no hope of defeating. He is ‘saved’ by the Danes invading – everyone who can, flees for their lives.
King Alfred and his family escape and take refuge in the swamps of Athelney, where Uhtred joins them. They spend about a year bringing together all those still loyal to Wessex so that they can reclaim their country from the Danes.
Much of King Alfred’s fighting force consists of the Fyrd (farmers and labourers who fight with farm tools). They face a Danish army of much greater numbers – all of them warriors and somehow manage to defeat them and push the Danish invaders out of Wessex. So, King Alfred’s dream of a united England is still just hanging on.
The battle of Ethandun in 878 is a major battle in history. King Alfred defeated the Danish invaders against all odds. England may have been a very different place if Alfred had lost.
As with most Bernard Cornwell books, I enjoyed this one and found is very readable. If Bernard Cornwell was around when I was at school, I would probably have got a lot more out of my history classes. I’m looking forward to continuing the series with ‘The Lords of the North’.
Book published 2005