Bernard Cornwell - Definition and Overview

Bernard Cornwell is a British author whose novels have historical subjects.

He was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman; his mother English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was given up for adoption and brought up in Essex by a family which was part of the Peculiar People sect. He attended the University of London and after graduating worked for BBC Television. Married Judy in 1980 and re-located to her home country, the USA. Unable to get a Green Card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.

His best-known books feature the adventures of Richard Sharpe, an English soldier, and are set in the Napoleonic era. After writing 12 books detailing adventures set around various European battle campaigns over the course of 12 years, further stories covered Sharpe's earlier years as a young soldier in India. Most of the Napoleonic-era books were filmed for a TV series starring Sean Bean as Sharpe. Further books written subsequently have been slotted in to different parts of Sharpe's timeframe.

Cornwell has also written the Starbuck Chronicles, four novels set during the American Civil War; and the three Warlord Chronicles dealing with Arthurian Britain. His latest series is the Grail Quest novels dealing with a 14th Century search for the Holy Grail is set around the time of the hundred years war.

List of novels

The SHARPE series (in historical date order)

• Sharpe's Tiger (1997) — Siege of Seringapatam, 1799
• Sharpe's Triumph (1998) — Battle of Assaye, September 1783
• Sharpe's Fortress (1999) — Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803
• Sharpe's Trafalgar (May 2001) — Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805
• Sharpe's Prey (2002) — Expedition to Copenhagen, 1807
• Sharpe's Rifles (1988) — French invasion of Galicia, January 1809
• Sharpe's Havoc (April 2003) — French Invasion of Portugal, Spring 1809
• Sharpe's Eagle (1981) — Talavera Campaign, July 1809
• Sharpe's Gold (1981) — Destruction of Almeida, August 1810
• Sharpe's Escape (April 2004) — Portugul, September 1810
• Sharpe's Battle (1995) — Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, May 1811
• Sharpe's Company (1982) — Siege of Bajadoz, April 1812
• Sharpe's Sword (1983) — Salamanca Campaign
• Sharpe's Skirmish (September 2002) — Defence of the Tormes, August 1812
• Sharpe's Enemy (1983) — Defence of Portugal, 1812
• Sharpe's Honour (1985) — Vitoria Campaign, February to June 1813
• Sharpe's Regiment (1986) — Invasion of France, June to November 1813
• Sharpe's Siege (1987) — Winter Campaign, 1814
• Sharpe's Revenge (1989) — Peace of 1814
• Sharpe's Waterloo (1990) — Waterloo Campaign, June 15 to June 18 1815
• Sharpe's Devil (1992) — French Emperor,1820-21

The STARBUCK Chronicles

• Rebel
• Copperhead
• Battle Flag
• The Bloody Ground

The WARLORD Chronicles

• The Winter King
• Enemy of God
• Excalibur

The GRAIL QUEST novels

• Harlequin (re-named The Archer's Tale in the USA)
• Vagabond
• Heretic (October 2003)

Other novels

• Crackdown (also published as Murder Cay)
• Gallows Thief
• Killer's Wake (also published as Sea Lord)
• Redcoat
• Scoundrel
• Stonehenge: A novel of 2000 B.C.
• Stormchild
• The Archer's Tale (April 2002)
• The Last Kingdom
• Wildtrack

See Also

Sharpe (TV Series)

External link

• Author's official site (http://bernardcornwell.net/)