The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell FIC Cor

In England in 866 Uhtred, a 10-year-old English boy is captured in a battle with the invading Danes that leaves his father dead.  His captor is Earl Ragnar, a Danish chieftan.  Knowing that he should despise this man, Uhtred comes instead to love him as a father.  He is taught the Danish ways of war and is taken along on many of the battles that end up with more and more of England being captured by the Vikings.

In spite of his love for Ragnar and his family, however, Uhtred can never really forget that he is English.  As he grows up and begins to fight he yearns for the home that was taken from him all those years ago and vows one day to recover it from the uncle who now lives there.

Eventually Uhtred's path crosses that of Alfred who is king of the last kingdom still to be ruled by Englishman and he must choose where his loyalties lie.

This book was published in 2004 and is the first in a series.  In a time when battles were fought hand to hand and were extremely personal, the author's descriptions of these battles are as gruesome as you might expect. After reading this I have a better understanding of how shields were used in battle, their pluses and minuses. When Uhtred says that he isn't really a man because he hasn't fought in a prolonged shield wall battle, he isn't necessarily sorry as he knows that these battles are long and torturous... and deadly.

The author gives his main character a great deal of humanity.  Told from the perspective of Uhtred as an old (or older) man we see how arrogant he was as a youth but also that he understood this.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series - and already have it checked out.