Excalibur – A Novel of Arthur

Women, how they do haunt this tale.

When I first began writing Arthur's story I thought it would be a tale of men; a chronicle of swords and spears, of battles won and frontiers made, of ruined treaties and broken kings, for is that not how history itself is told?

Men do make history, and I cannot deny that it was men who brought Britain low. There were hundreds of us... but it took both a man and a woman to bring Britain low, and of the two it was the woman who did the greater damage... It was Guinevere who darkened the noonday sun.

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 story of Arthur's desperate attempt to triumph over a ruined marriage and the Saxons' determination to destroy him.

This is the tale not only of a broken love remade, but also of enemies more subtle than any Saxon spearman – of forces both earthly and unearthly that threaten everything Arthur stands for. When Merlin and Nimue embark on a dangerous quest to summon the Gods back to Britain, they unleash forces that will lead to a last desperate battle on the sands of Camlann, where it seems that Arthur must fail unless Merlin's final enchantment can avert the horror.

Peopled by princesses and bards, warriors and magicians, Excalibur is a story of love, war, loyalty, and betrayal – the unforgettable conclusion to a brilliant retelling of one of the most powerful legends of all time.