Dig Into the Real History Behind Netflix’s ‘The Last Kingdom’ with These Tomes

The Last Kingdom Books 1-3

The Last Kingdom is based on The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell. This bundle of three novels is the perfect way to dive into the thirteen-book series.

“In a land torn apart by conflict, an orphan boy has come of age. Raised by the Vikings, deadly enemies of his own Saxon people, Uhtred is a fierce and skilled warrior who kneels to no one. Alfred – Saxon, king, man of god – fights to hold the throne of the only land still resisting the pagan northerners. Uhtred and Alfred’s fates are tangled, soaked in blood, and blackened by the flames of war. Together they will change history.”

This isn’t your stereotypical history book. Dan Jones writes in a way that will pull you in – it’s educational and entertaining. For the Hardcore History fans out there, Jones is Dan Carlin approved.

“When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era. And the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names—from St Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine—Dan Jones charges through the history of the Middle Ages. Powers and Thrones takes readers on a journey through an emerging Europe, the great capitals of late Antiquity, as well as the influential cities of the Islamic West, and culminates in the first European voyages to the Americas.”

In this book, get a different look at how the Anglo-Saxons lived beyond battles.

“Winters in the World is a beautifully observed journey through the cycle of the year in Anglo-Saxon England, exploring the festivals, customs, and traditions linked to the different seasons. Drawing on a wide variety of source material, including poetry, histories, and religious literature, Eleanor Parker investigates how Anglo-Saxons felt about the annual passing of the seasons. And the profound relationship they saw between human life and the rhythms of nature.”

This classic work of historical fiction follows a Viking as he sails the wild seas, fights in battles, and experiences multiple cultures.

“Frans Gunnar Bengtsson’s The Long Ships resurrects the fantastic world of the tenth century AD when the Vikings roamed and rampaged from the northern fastnesses of Scandinavia down to the Mediterranean. Bengtsson’s hero, Red Orm—canny, courageous, and above all lucky—is only a boy when he is abducted from his Danish home by the Vikings and made to take his place at the oars of their dragon-prowed ships.”

The Alfred in the show? This is about his historical counterpart – the unlikely king who saved England.

“King Alfred rallied the battered and bedraggled kingdoms of Britain and after decades of plotting, praying, and persisting, finally triumphed over the invaders. Alfred’s victory reverberates to this day: he sparked a literary renaissance, restructured Britain’s roadways, revised the legal codes, and revived Christian learning and worship. It was Alfred’s accomplishments that laid the groundwork forBritian’ss later glories and triumphs in literature, liturgy, and liberty.”

This is a fantastic choice if you prefer a more anthropological than a narrative approach to history (that doesn’t mean it’s dry or dull). It covers the fall of Rome until the events at the end of The Last Kingdom series so you can understand all the threads.

“Britain after Rome brings together a wealth of research and imaginative engagement to bring us as close as we can hope to get to the tumultuous centuries between the departure of the Roman legions and the arrival of Norman invaders nearly seven centuries later.”