The Burning Land

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it, while at times based on historical figures, are the work of the author’s imagination.

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2009

Copyright © Bernard Cornwell 2009

Map © John Gilkes 2009

Family Tree © Colin Hall 2009

Bernard Cornwell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: 9780007219742

Ebook Edition © OCTOBER 2009 ISBN: 9780007290017 Version: 2017-05-05

THE BURNING LAND

is for Alan and Jan Rust

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Place-names

Map

Family Tree

Part One: THE WARLORD

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Part Two: VIKING

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Part Three: BATTLE’S EDGE

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Keep Reading

Historical Note

About the Author

Also by Bernard Cornwell

About the Publisher

The spelling of place names in Anglo Saxon England was an uncertain business, with no consistency and no agreement even about the name itself. Thus London was variously rendered as Lundonia, Lundenberg, Lundenne, Lundene, Lundenwic, Lundenceaster and Lundres. Doubtless some readers will prefer other versions of the names listed below, but I have usually employed whichever spelling is cited in either the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names or the newer Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names for the years nearest or contained within Alfred’s reign, AD 871–899, but even that solution is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and Hæglingaiggæ. Nor have I been consistent myself; I have preferred the modern form Northumbria to Nor hymbralond to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list, like the spellings themselves, is capricious.