I'm still impressed with Cornwell's ability to depict battle and weave his fictional character, Uhtred, into historical events that occurred between 876 and 889 A.D. in Wessex and Mercia.

I'm not sure what historical works he consulted while writing this series, but his imagination of phalanx-styled warfare is spot on. Perhaps he read Victor Davis Hanson's The Western Way of War or his edited collection Hoplites: The Classical Greek Battle Experience to construct his realist depiction of early middle ages battle.