Bernard Cornwell Books In Order

Publication Order of Sharpe Books

Chronological Order of Sharpe Books

Publication Order of Crowning Mercy Books

Publication Order of Starbuck Chronicles Books

Publication Order of Warlord Chronicles/Arthur Books

Publication Order of Grail Quest Books

Publication Order of Saxon Chronicles Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Sharpe Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Bernard Cornwell is a master of history and master of the pen. He is an author of historical novels and a illegitimate child of war. He began writing to support his family, and soon became known for his novels about the Napoleonic Wars, featuring the magnificent Richard Sharpe. His series were so popular that they were adapted into a successful television series and serials for BBC and ITV.

Early Life

Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944, as a child of war. His mother was a English citizen in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. His father was an airman for the Canadian airforce. But he was an “illegitimate” child and his parents put him up for adoption. Later Cornwell was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins of Thundersley, Essex. The Wiggins were members of a now extinct religious sect, called the Peculiar People. The group was extremely script and forbade “frivolity” which included television, dancing, alcohol, cigarettes, and even conventional medicine. When he was old enough to leave, he went to London University and took his mother’s maiden name, Cornwell.

After graduating from the University of London, he worked as a teacher. He tried to join the British armed services three times, but was rejected because of nearsightedness. After teaching, he got a job with BBC’s Nationwide. He then became the editor of Thames television news. In 1979, he moved to the United States with his American bride. He wasn’t able to receive a green card right away, and as a result was unable to work legitimately in the country. So he began working as a novelist because it didn’t require a work permit.

Career

When he was a boy, Cornwell read C.S. Forester’s novels which chronicle the adventures of Horatio Hornblower, a fictional British navy officer in the Napoleonic wars. Motivated by a need to make a living, Cornwell decided to write a series about one of the characters, Lord Wellington, and his campaigns on land. He named his main character Richard Sharp (a rugby player).

Cornwell began writing a short series Sharpe’s Eagle and Sharpe’s Gold (1981) and then later Sharpe’s Company (1982). Cornwell and his wife then co-wrote another series of novels: A Crowning Mercy (1983), Fallen Angels (1984), and Coat of Arms (1986) under the pseudonym “Susannah Kells.” In 1987, he published Redcoat, a book set in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. Cornwell then wrote a series of thrillers about sailing. In 2008, he published Azincourt about a soldier in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years War. He released the final two novels of his Saxon Stories collection with The Burning Land (2009) and Death of Kings (2011). Cornwell enjoyed being a serial novelist, and focused much of his career on this endeavor. However he did publish a few successful standalone novels like The Fort (2010).

The Sharpe Series

The Sharpe series was the first series undertaken by Cornwell. The first 11 books of the series involves Sharpe’ s adventures in the Peninsular War over 6-7 years. Cornwell decided to write a prequel quintet to the first 11 books – Sharpe’s Tiger, Sharpe’s Triumph, Sharpe’s Fortress, Sharpe’s Trafalgar, and Sharpe’s Prey. This quintet follows Sharpe’s adventures in India. The series also included the addition of two more books, Sharpe’s Devil, six years after the end of the wars, and Sharpe’s Battle, taking place during the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro.

Sharpe’s Eagle (1981)

The first book in the Richard Sharpe series put Cornwell on the map. This gritty portrayal of the Napoleonic War set in Talavera introduces Captain Richard Sharpe. After a devastating defeat and the theft of their colors, Sharpe’s regiment begins to turn on him. He must fight to regain his honor and the loyalty of his men.

Sharpe’s Gold (1981)

The second book in the Sharpe series finds sSharpe and his regiment in trouble when his regiment runs out of money and supplies. Their only hope lies in finding a Portuguese treasure. To do this, Sharpe might have to betray his men.

Television Adaptation

After publishing his first eight novels, Cornwell was approached by a production company about turning the Sharpe series into a television show. But they asked him to write another book so they would have a starting point for the television show. As a result, Cornwell wrote Sharpe’s Rifle.

The television show was filmed for ITV. It starred Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe, a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. At first Cornwell did not approve of Sean Bean playing his beloved character. But when he saw his portrayal on the screen, Cornwell was absolutely delighted and dedicated his novel, Sharpe’s Battle, to the actor. He even admitted to changing the writing in his books to match how Bean would act or do. For example, Cornwell didn’t think Bean’s physical appearance did not match the dark haired Sharpe in the books. But as soon as he saw Bean’s interpretation of the character, Cornwell stopped mentioning Sharpe’s hair color all together. The show was produced by Celtic Films and Picture Palace. The series was shot in Crimea, Spain, Portugal, England, and Turkey.

The series ran from 1993 to 1997. In 2006, ITV partnered with BBC America to produce new episodes ofo Sharpe based on his adventures in India. Sean Bean was called to reprise his role as Richard Sharpe. The result was Sharpe’s Challenge, a two-part event. The first part aired on ITV on April 23, 2006 and the next part aired the next day. The adventure series premiered on BBC America in September, 2006. 2 more episodes were scheduled to be made in 2006, but the production was postponed twice. The first was because of the resignation of ITV’s chief executive, the second was because Sean Bean wasn’t available at the time. Finally Sharpe’s Peril was produced by Celtic Film/ Picture Palace in 2008. It was broadcasted on ITV in November of 2008. It aired in the United States in 2010 on PBS.

Bernard Cornwell is a British author who writes historical novels steeped in the beauty and savageness of war. Although he has a great body of standalone novels, he is known best as a serial novelist. His most popular series is the Sharpe series, which features Richard Sharpe. The success of Sharpe has led the author’s written masterpiece to a multitude of exciting television adaptations. Cornwell continues to write exciting tales of war starring Richard Sharpe from his homes in Massachusetts and South Carolina.

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