Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories

I have just read the last of these stories, Death of Kings. The stories follow the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg and how he influenced the history of England around the time of Alfred the Great. Broadly speaking I am a fan of Bernard Cornwell. The way he weaves fiction and fact is something I wish that I could also do. He is intensely readable. His tales of Richard Sharpe and the Starbuck Chronicles are very strong.

My criticism is that he just doesn't seem to know when to stop and move on. With Sharpe I always got the feeling that with the way stories were being shoehorned together we might well end up with a tale such as Sharpe's Sunday Roast where in the dramatisation Sean Bean can be seen trying to carve the side of beef with his sword and he struggles to overcome a range cooker constantly referring to it as 'You Bastard'.

I didn't much like Stonehenge, although my wife thinks it an excellent tale. Nor was I fond of the modern adventures or Crowning mercy or Gallows Thief. I have found that when Cornwell sticks to the same characters he develops a feel for them and this comes through in his writing.

However, by the time I got to the 6th volume of the Saxon Stories with potentially at least one more volume to come I was just wishing for an irate Dane  to not waste time trying to fight Uhtred with a sword but to use a bow and put him out of my misery.

The first few books of the series are well written and accessible. Cornwell at his best is a phenomenally good read. he keeps the action moving and you care for the characters. Now in terms of history Cornwell always sets his books in context, Hollywood film makers take note please. Part of my problem is that my particular area of historical interest is the Stuarts and as yet Cornwell has not yet really tackled this period.

The Dangerous Book for Boys recommends Cornwell as a good author for boys to read.  I would wholeheartedly agree. I just feel that the character of Uhtred is past his prime and should be laid to rest. I want to see a set of books set during the English Civil War of the 1640s.