Synopses & Reviews
In
The Winter King and
Enemy of God, Bernard Cornwell took the beloved legend of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and made it fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final installment of his extraordinary trilogy, Mr. Cornwell relates how King Arthur and his warriors battle their Saxon enemies, allied with Lancelot, for the throne of all Britain.
Excalibur is a monumental story of love and war. Betrayed by his true love, Guinevere, Arthur must face his enemies -- who were once his friends -- in final, mortal combat. He must also face his most daunting challenge of all. Merlin has made a terrible pact with Mordred, Arthur's sworn enemy, to summon the gods and the power the gods possess. Arthur's success at stopping them, even his survival, is anything but certain. But winning when all seems lost is what makes Arthur a hero.
Stunningly written and peopled with the familiar characters of legend -- and brilliantly narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith -- Excalibur is a fitting and immensely powerful conclusion to one of the greatest-ever retellings of the Arthurian saga.
Review
"Medieval times burst to life in Cornwell's canny retelling of the King Arthur myth." --
People"The action is gripping and skillfully paced, cadenced by passages in which the characters reveal themselves in conversation and thought, convincingly evoking the spirit of the time." --Publishers Weekly on Excalibur (starred review)
"The best Arthurian since Gillian Bradshaw, if not Mary Stewart herself." --The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction on Enemy of God
"The strength of the tale lies in the way Cornwellflesh-and-blood tells it through the creation of fesh-and-blood players who make a historical period come magically alive." --The Washington Post on The Winter King
Synopsis
In
The Winter King and
Enemy of God Bernard Cornwell demonstrated his astonishing ability to make the oft-told legend of King Arthur fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final volume of The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell tells the unforgettable tale of Arthur's final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams.
This is the tale not only of a broken love remade, but also of forces both earthly and unearthly that threaten everything Arthur stands for. Peopled by princesses and bards, by warriors and magicians, Excalibur is the story of love, war, loyalty, and betrayal-the work of a magnificent storyteller at the height of his powers.
Synopsis
In the final installment of this extraordinary trilogy, King Arthur and his warriors battle their Saxon enemies for the throne of all Britain.
About the Author
Bernard Cornwell is the author of numerous international bestsellers, including
Wildtrack, Stormchild, Scoundrel, and
Redcoat. He is also the writer of the hugely successful
Richard Sharpe series, which has been adapted for television, and the
Starbuck series, set during the American Civil War. He was born in London, brought up in Essex, and now lives in Cape Cod with his American wife.
Tim Pigott-Smith is a British classical stage and television actor. He's appeared on Broadway in
Sherlock Holmes as well as opposite such British stars as Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Geraldine James, and Patrick Stewart. He has appeared in a host of Shakespearean classics on television including
Henry IV, Part I and
Measure for Measure as well as in
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years,
Fame Is the Spur, and
The Jewel in the Crown. His many film credits include
Alice in Wonderland,
Clash of the Titans,
Bloody Sunday, and Martin Scorcese's
Gangs of New York. An Earphones Award-winner and Audie finalist, Tim has narrated everything from Wilbur Smith's
Triumph of the Sun and
Blue Horizon to Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic
The Brothers Karamazov and Geoffrey Chaucer's
The Canterbury Tales.