Reddit reviews last kingdom,the

If you haven't read any of Bernard Cornwell's you have a great selection.

The Fort is set for a single battle in 1776, and shows the buildup and problems associated with it, it's told from both sides which makes it really interesting.

Grail Quest is set in the 100 Years War between England and France, and is from the perspective of an archer

Saxon Stories is about the Danish invasion of England under King Alfred's rule.

There's quite a bit more too, including the Sharpe series, the Warlord Chronicles (Arthur) and so on.
There's also Conn Iggulden who has done the Emperor Series and the Conqueror Series about Julius Caeser and Genghis Khan respectively.

Have you ever read Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom? It's a historical fiction series in which the protagonist is of the Norse religion, so believes in Valhalla (the hall of Odin, where dead warriors go to feast and fight in glory for eternity). He often complains about how boring the Christian Heaven sounds. Your "harps and eternal happiness" really reminded me of his descriptions.