Bernard Cornwell
Born 23 February 1944
From London, England, United Kingdom · Nationality: United Kingdom · Writes fiction and nonfiction
Bernard Cornwell (born February 23, 1944) is an English author of historical novels, known for his meticulous research and engaging storytelling. Born in London, England, to a Canadian airman father and a mother in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, he was adopted by a family in Essex belonging to the Peculiar People sect. Cornwell attended London University and worked as a teacher before joining the BBC, where he spent a decade, eventually becoming Head of Current Affairs in Northern Ireland.
Bernard Cornwell is renowned for his long-running series of novels, including the Sharpe series about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe, the Saxon Stories (also known as The Last Kingdom series), which explores the unification of England, the Warlord Chronicles set in Arthurian Britain, and the Grail Quest series, which delves into a 14th-century search for the Holy Grail during the Hundred Years' War. Cornwell has written historical novels primarily based on English history, in five series, and one series of contemporary thriller novels. A notable feature of his historical novels is an end note on how they match or differ from history. He has also written a nonfiction book on the battle of Waterloo. Three of his historical novel series have been adapted for television: the Sharpe series by ITV, The Last Kingdom by BBC, and The Winter King for MGM+.
Quotes
“Arthur Wellesley had waited six years for this moment. He was twenty-nine years old and had begun to fear that he would never see battle, but now, at last, he would discover whether he and his regiment could fight, and so he filled his lungs to give the order that would start the slaughter.”
Sharpe's Tiger, p. 28 “Look after him, Lieutenant. An army isn’t made of its officers, you know, though we officers like to think it is. An army is no better than its men, and when you find good men, you must look after them. That’s an officer’s job.”
Sharpe's Tiger, p. 353 “Made in Sheffield, and guaranteed never to fail! Good slicer this is, real good. You can cut a man in half with one of these if you get the stroke right.”
Sharpe's Triumph, p. 207 “You’re a light company, and that means you can go where other soldiers can’t. It makes you an elite. You know what that means? It means you’re the best men in the bloody army, and right now the army needs its best men. It needs you.”
Sharpe's Fortress, p. 261 “You know what the trick of a long life is, Sharpe? Stay out of range.”
Sharpe's Trafalgar, p. 133
Quotes from Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Books by Bernard Cornwell in order
Books by Bernard Cornwell in the order they were published, from Sharpe's Eagle (1981) to War of the Wolf (2018).
- 1Sharpe's Eagle
Sharpe's Eagle1981 - 2Sharpe's Gold
Sharpe's Gold1981 - 3Sharpe's Rifles
Sharpe's Rifles1988 - 4Winter King
Winter King1995 - 5Enemy of God
Enemy of God1996 - 6Excalibur
Excalibur1997 - 7Sharpe's Tiger
Sharpe's Tiger1997 - 8Sharpe's triumph4bRichard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye, S
Sharpe's triumph4bRichard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye, September 18031998 - 9Sharpe's Fortress
Sharpe's Fortress1999 - 10Stonehenge, 2000 B.C
Stonehenge, 2000 B.C1999 - 11Harlequin
Harlequin2000 - 12Azincourt
Azincourt2001 - 13Heretic
Heretic2001 - 14Sharpe's Skirmish
Sharpe's Skirmish2002 - 15The Last Kingdom
The Last Kingdom2004 - 16The Pale Horseman
The Pale Horseman2004 - 17Sharpe's Fury Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Barrosal, Mar
Sharpe's Fury Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Barrosal, March 18112006 - 18The Lords of the North
The Lords of the North2006 - 19Sword Song
Sword Song2007 - 20The Burning Land
The Burning Land2009 - 21Death of Kings
Death of Kings2011 - 22Pagan Lord
Pagan Lord2013 - 23The Flame Bearer
The Flame Bearer2016 - 24War of the Wolf
War of the Wolf2018