Bernard Cornwell is one of the most popular historical novelists in the world. Over more than four decades, he has written over 60 novels, from Richard Sharpe’s battles against Napoleon to Uhtred’s fight for the birth of England, and three of his series have been adapted for television.
This guide covers everything he has written: every series in reading order, his standalone novels, his early thrillers, and his nonfiction, with advice on where to start and what to read next.
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Quick facts
- Born: 23 February 1944, London
- Books: More than 60 novels across five historical series, plus standalones, thrillers, and one work of nonfiction
- Best known for: Sharpe, The Last Kingdom (Saxon Stories), and the Warlord Chronicles
- Latest book: Sharpe’s Storm (2025)
- Adaptations: Sharpe (ITV), The Last Kingdom (BBC and Netflix), The Winter King (MGM+ and ITVX)
- Official website: bernardcornwell.net
About Bernard Cornwell
Early Life
Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted as a baby and raised in Thundersley, Essex, by the Wiggins family, members of a strict religious sect called the Peculiar People, which banned most forms of entertainment. As an adult, he changed his surname to Cornwell, his birth mother’s maiden name. He did not meet his birth father until he was 58.
He went to Monkton Combe School in Somerset and studied history at University College London from 1963 to 1966. He tried to join the British armed forces at least three times and was turned down each time because of his poor eyesight, which makes his later career as one of the great writers of military fiction all the more remarkable.
From the BBC to Sharpe
After working as a teacher, Cornwell joined BBC Television, where he worked on the Nationwide programme and rose to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He later edited Thames News in London.
Then he fell in love with Judy, an American visitor, and followed her to the United States. When he could not get a work permit there, he decided to write a novel, something for which no permit was needed. He had loved C. S. Forester’s Hornblower books as a boy and wanted to write the army equivalent. The result was Sharpe’s Eagle, published in 1981, and he has been a full-time novelist ever since.
Career and Honours
Cornwell’s novels have sold many millions of copies and been translated into dozens of languages. Every one of them ends with a historical note explaining what really happened and where he has invented, a habit his readers value greatly. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006 for services to literature and television production.
He has written about his own family history too: he believes he is descended from Uhtred the Bold, an Anglo-Saxon lord of Bebbanburg, and that family link partly inspired The Last Kingdom.
Bernard Cornwell Today
Cornwell is now in his eighties and still writing. He lives in the United States with his wife Judy, dividing his time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Charleston, South Carolina. His most recent novel is Sharpe’s Storm (2025), which returns Richard Sharpe to the war in southern France.
Bernard Cornwell Series at a Glance
| Series | Books | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Kingdom (Saxon Stories) | 13 | 9th and 10th century England | Complete |
| Sharpe | 24 novels + short stories | 1799 to 1821 | Ongoing |
| Warlord Chronicles | 3 | Post-Roman Britain | Complete |
| Grail Quest | 4 | Hundred Years’ War, 1340s and 1350s | Complete |
| Starbuck Chronicles | 4 | American Civil War | On hold |
The Last Kingdom (Saxon Stories)
Period: England, from 866 to the 10th century
Books: 13 (complete)
Published: 2004 to 2020
Uhtred is the son of a Northumbrian lord, taken by Danish raiders as a boy and raised among them. When the Danes set out to conquer England, he is caught between the people who raised him and the English kingdom of Wessex, where Alfred the Great is fighting to survive. All the while, Uhtred wants only one thing: to take back his family’s fortress of Bebbanburg.
This is Cornwell’s most popular series and, for many readers, his best. It tells the story of how England came to exist as one kingdom, through the reigns of Alfred, his son Edward, and his daughter Æthelflæd, and Uhtred’s voice, arrogant, funny, and fiercely loyal, carries readers through all 13 books.
The Last Kingdom Books in Order
- The Last Kingdom (2004)
- The Pale Horseman (2005)
- The Lords of the North (2006)
- Sword Song (2007)
- The Burning Land (2009)
- Death of Kings (2011)
- The Pagan Lord (2013)
- The Empty Throne (2014)
- Warriors of the Storm (2015)
- The Flame Bearer (2016)
- War of the Wolf (2018)
- Sword of Kings (2019)
- War Lord (2020)
In the UK, the series is called The Saxon Stories (or The Saxon Tales); in the US and on screen, it is The Last Kingdom. They are the same 13 books. For a book-by-book guide with settings and spoiler-free summaries, see our full Last Kingdom reading order.
The TV Series
The Last Kingdom ran for five seasons from 2015 to 2022, starting on BBC Two and moving to Netflix, with Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred. The story concluded in the 2023 Netflix film Seven Kings Must Die. The show follows the main events of the books, though it compresses and changes some storylines.
Cornwell himself appears on screen: IMDb lists him as Beornheard in one episode of the third season (2018), a cameo that sharp-eyed fans enjoyed spotting.
Read it if you love: Vikings, shield-wall battles, a narrator with plenty of attitude, and the birth of England.
The Sharpe Series
Period: India, Europe, and South America, 1799 to 1821
Books: 24 novels plus short stories
Published: 1981 to 2025
Richard Sharpe is a London orphan who joins the army to escape the gallows. In an officer class made up of gentlemen who buy their promotions, he rises from the ranks through courage, cunning, and a talent for violence, fighting under Wellington from India to Waterloo.
Sharpe was Cornwell’s first creation, and he has returned to him again and again for more than 40 years. Each novel is built around a real battle or campaign, and Cornwell’s descriptions of how Napoleonic armies actually fought, from the Baker rifle to the infantry square, are among the best in fiction.
Sharpe Books in Chronological Order
Cornwell wrote the books out of order, starting with Sharpe’s Eagle and later going back to Sharpe’s early life in India. Most readers now start at the beginning of Sharpe’s story:
India and the sea
- Sharpe’s Tiger (1997): Seringapatam, 1799
- Sharpe’s Triumph (1998): Assaye, 1803
- Sharpe’s Fortress (1999): Gawilghur, 1803
- Sharpe’s Trafalgar (2000): at sea, 1805
- Sharpe’s Prey (2001): Copenhagen, 1807
The Peninsular War
- Sharpe’s Rifles (1988): Galicia, 1809
- Sharpe’s Havoc (2002): Oporto, 1809
- Sharpe’s Eagle (1981): Talavera, 1809
- Sharpe’s Gold (1981): Almeida, 1810
- Sharpe’s Escape (2004): Bussaco and Torres Vedras, 1810
- Sharpe’s Fury (2006): Cádiz and Barrosa, 1811
- Sharpe’s Battle (1995): Fuentes de Oñoro, 1811
- Sharpe’s Company (1982): Badajoz, 1812
- Sharpe’s Command (2023): Almaraz, 1812
- Sharpe’s Sword (1983): Salamanca, 1812
- Sharpe’s Enemy (1984): the Portuguese border, winter 1812
- Sharpe’s Honour (1985): Vitoria, 1813
- Sharpe’s Regiment (1986): England, 1813
France, Waterloo and after
- Sharpe’s Storm (2025): south-western France, 1813
- Sharpe’s Siege (1987): the coast near Bordeaux, 1814
- Sharpe’s Revenge (1989): Toulouse, 1814
- Sharpe’s Waterloo (1990): Belgium, 1815
- Sharpe’s Assassin (2021): Paris, 1815
- Sharpe’s Devil (1992): Chile, 1820 to 1821
Short stories: Sharpe’s Skirmish (set in 1812) and Sharpe’s Christmas, which contains two stories, one of them Sharpe’s Ransom.
Publication order is also rewarding, especially if you want to see how Cornwell’s writing developed. Our Sharpe series reading order lists both orders, with a spoiler-free guide to every book and the short stories.
The TV Series
Sean Bean played Sharpe in the ITV films that ran from 1993 to 1997, followed by two later specials, Sharpe’s Challenge (2006) and Sharpe’s Peril (2008). Bean’s performance was so popular that Cornwell dedicated Sharpe’s Battle to him and admitted that he gradually wrote Sharpe more like Bean’s version.
Read it if you love: Napoleonic warfare, underdog heroes, and self-contained adventures you can read one at a time.
The Warlord Chronicles
Period: Britain in the late 5th and early 6th centuries
Books: 3 (complete)
Published: 1995 to 1997
Cornwell’s retelling of the King Arthur legend strips away the castles and chivalry to show what the real Arthur might have been: a warlord trying to hold together post-Roman Britain against the Saxons and the petty kings who should be his allies. Merlin is a druid fighting to bring back the old gods, and his magic is always open to doubt.
The story is told by Derfel, a Saxon-born warrior who became one of Arthur’s closest men and now, as an old monk, is writing down what he remembers. That voice gives the trilogy its power: it is a story about how history turns into legend. Many readers, and Cornwell himself, rank it as his finest work.
Warlord Chronicles Books in Order
- The Winter King (1995)
- Enemy of God (1996)
- Excalibur (1997)
The Winter King was adapted into a television series, starring Iain De Caestecker as Arthur, which was released on MGM+ in the US and ITVX in the UK in 2023. It was canceled after one season. See our Warlord Chronicles reading order for more, and our list of the best Arthurian historical fiction for other versions of the legend.
Read it if you love: King Arthur grounded in history, first-person storytelling, and epic tragedy.
The Grail Quest Series
Period: The Hundred Years’ War, 1340s and 1350s
Books: 4
Published: 2000 to 2012
Thomas of Hookton is an English archer whose village is raided by a mysterious knight in search of a relic. His search for the raider and for the truth about his own family’s connection to the Holy Grail takes him through Edward III’s campaigns in France, beginning with the Battle of Crécy.
This is Cornwell’s great study of the English longbow, the weapon that let common archers destroy armies of knights, and the series is packed with vivid battle writing. It is also a manageable four books, a good choice for readers who want a complete story.
Grail Quest Books in Order
- Harlequin (2000), published in the US as The Archer’s Tale
- Vagabond (2002)
- Heretic (2003)
- 1356 (2012)
The first three books form the original trilogy. 1356 brings Thomas back for the Battle of Poitiers and can be read on its own. See our Grail Quest reading order for the full guide.
Read it if you love: archery, medieval battles, and a quest with a mystery at its heart.
The Starbuck Chronicles
Period: The American Civil War, 1861-1862
Books: 4 (on hold)
Published: 1993 to 1996
Nathaniel Starbuck is the son of a famous Boston preacher who hates slavery, yet he ends up fighting for the Confederacy with a Virginia regiment. Torn between his family and his friends, he fights through the early campaigns of the war.
Starbuck Chronicles Books in Order
- Rebel (1993)
- Copperhead (1994)
- Battle Flag (1995)
- The Bloody Ground (1996)
The series stops after the Antietam campaign of 1862. Cornwell has said more than once that he would like to return to Starbuck, but no new book has appeared since 1996, so readers should treat these four as a story that stops rather than ends.
Read it if you love: the Civil War, divided loyalties, and complicated heroes.
Standalone Novels
Redcoat (1987)
Setting: Philadelphia, 1777
The American Revolution from the British side. Sam Gilpin, a young British soldier in occupied Philadelphia, begins to question which side he really belongs on. It is one of the few Revolutionary War novels to show the redcoats as people rather than villains.
Stonehenge (1999)
Setting: Neolithic Britain, around 2000 BC
Three brothers, a warrior, a priest with a vision, and a builder, are bound together by the building of the great temple on Salisbury Plain. Cornwell’s most unusual novel, and his only one set before recorded history.
Gallows Thief (2001)
Setting: London, 1817
Rider Sandman, a Waterloo veteran who has lost his fortune, is hired to confirm the guilt of a man about to be hanged, and starts to suspect he is innocent. A historical mystery with a sharp eye on the brutality of Regency justice.
Azincourt (2008)
Setting: England and France, 1415
Nicholas Hook, a forester and archer with a price on his head, ends up in Henry V’s army on the march to Agincourt. Published in the US as Agincourt, it is the best single-volume introduction to Cornwell. It also features in our list of the best medieval historical fiction.
The Fort (2010)
Setting: Penobscot Bay, Maine, 1779
The true story of the Penobscot Expedition, a large American force sent to drive a small British garrison out of Maine. A rare Cornwell novel about the art of command, and about how easily it can fail.
Fools and Mortals (2017)
Setting: London, 1595
Richard Shakespeare, William’s younger brother, is a struggling actor in his brother’s company, which is preparing the first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When valuable scripts disappear, Richard has to get them back. A love letter to the Elizabethan theater, far from any battlefield.
Nonfiction
Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles (2014)
Published for the 200th anniversary of the battle, Cornwell’s only nonfiction book tells the story of Waterloo through the letters and memories of the men who fought there. Readers of Sharpe’s Waterloo will find it a fascinating companion to the novel.
The Sailing Thrillers
Before he settled into historical fiction, Cornwell wrote five contemporary thrillers set around sailing and the sea. They are not historical fiction, but they show his love of boats; he is a keen sailor himself.
- Wildtrack (1988)
- Sea Lord (1989), published in the US as Killer’s Wake
- Crackdown (1990)
- Stormchild (1991)
- Scoundrel (1992)
Writing as Susannah Kells
In the 1980s, Cornwell and his wife Judy wrote three historical romances together under the pen name Susannah Kells:
- A Crowning Mercy (1983), set during the English Civil War
- Fallen Angels (1984)
- Coat of Arms (1986)
All Bernard Cornwell Books in Publication Order
For readers who want to follow Cornwell’s career as it happened, here are all the books in the order they were published.
1980s: Sharpe’s Eagle (1981), Sharpe’s Gold (1981), Sharpe’s Company (1982), Sharpe’s Sword (1983), A Crowning Mercy (1983, as Susannah Kells), Sharpe’s Enemy (1984), Fallen Angels (1984, as Susannah Kells), Sharpe’s Honour (1985), Sharpe’s Regiment (1986), Coat of Arms (1986, as Susannah Kells), Sharpe’s Siege (1987), Redcoat (1987), Sharpe’s Rifles (1988), Wildtrack (1988), Sharpe’s Revenge (1989), Sea Lord (1989)
1990s: Sharpe’s Waterloo (1990), Crackdown (1990), Stormchild (1991), Sharpe’s Devil (1992), Scoundrel (1992), Rebel (1993), Copperhead (1994), Battle Flag (1995), The Winter King (1995), Sharpe’s Battle (1995), The Bloody Ground (1996), Enemy of God (1996), Excalibur (1997), Sharpe’s Tiger (1997), Sharpe’s Triumph (1998), Sharpe’s Fortress (1999), Stonehenge (1999)
2000s: Sharpe’s Trafalgar (2000), Harlequin (2000), Sharpe’s Prey (2001), Gallows Thief (2001), Vagabond (2002), Sharpe’s Havoc (2002), Heretic (2003), Sharpe’s Escape (2004), The Last Kingdom (2004), The Pale Horseman (2005), Sharpe’s Fury (2006), The Lords of the North (2006), Sword Song (2007), Azincourt (2008), The Burning Land (2009)
2010s: The Fort (2010), Death of Kings (2011), 1356 (2012), The Pagan Lord (2013), The Empty Throne (2014), Waterloo (2014, nonfiction), Warriors of the Storm (2015), The Flame Bearer (2016), Fools and Mortals (2017), War of the Wolf (2018), Sword of Kings (2019)
2020s: War Lord (2020), Sharpe’s Assassin (2021), Sharpe’s Command (2023), Sharpe’s Storm (2025)
Where to Start with Bernard Cornwell
The best first book overall: The Last Kingdom. It is Cornwell at his most gripping, and if you enjoy it, there are 12 more to come.
For Napoleonic adventure: Sharpe’s Tiger if you want Sharpe’s story from the beginning, or Sharpe’s Eagle if you want the book that started it all.
For King Arthur: The Winter King. Three books, complete, and arguably his masterpiece.
For a single book: Azincourt. Everything Cornwell does well in one novel.
For a complete medieval series: the Grail Quest. Four books, beginning with Harlequin.
Can You Read Cornwell’s Series Out of Order?
Within each series, read in order, because the characters and their stories develop from book to book. Sharpe is the exception: each book is a self-contained adventure, so you can jump in almost anywhere, though following Sharpe’s life in order is more satisfying.
Between series, there is no connection at all. The Last Kingdom, Sharpe, the Warlord Chronicles, and the Grail Quest are separate worlds, so start wherever your interests lead you.
Cornwell’s Writing Style
Battles. Cornwell is widely regarded as the best writer of battle scenes in historical fiction. His battles are chaotic, frightening, and easy to follow, and he always explains how and why they were won.
Research. He walks the battlefields he writes about and reads the memoirs of the men who fought there. His historical notes separate fact from invention, and he is honest about the many gaps in the record, especially for the early Middle Ages. See our guide to what makes historical fiction accurate for more on how he approaches history.
Heroes. His heroes are outsiders: a Saxon raised by Danes, a gutter-born officer, a common archer. They are tough, often difficult, and fiercely loyal to the few people they trust.
Pace. Short chapters, clean prose, and constant momentum. Cornwell calls himself a storyteller, and he rarely lets a chapter go by without a reason to turn the page.
Similar Authors You’ll Enjoy
Simon Scarrow
Roman army adventure with the same mix of action and humor, following two soldiers across the Roman Empire. Start with the Eagles of the Empire series, or see our Simon Scarrow author page.
Conn Iggulden
Fast, battle-filled epics about Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and the Wars of the Roses. Try the Conqueror series or see our Conn Iggulden author page.
Giles Kristian
The closest thing to The Last Kingdom from the Viking side, with real feeling for Norse life. Start with the Raven series or see our Giles Kristian author page.
Patrick O’Brian
Napoleonic warfare at sea. If you love Sharpe, the Aubrey-Maturin series is the naval equivalent, with a deeper literary style. See our Patrick O’Brian author page.
George MacDonald Fraser
A comic, cynical cousin of Sharpe: the Flashman Papers follow a Victorian coward who keeps ending up a hero. See our George MacDonald Fraser author page.
Ben Kane
Roman military fiction with vivid, bloody battle scenes. See our Ben Kane author page.
C. S. Forester
The Hornblower novels inspired Cornwell to write Sharpe in the first place. If you want to see where it all began, start with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower.
Matthew Harffy
The Bernicia Chronicles are set in 7th-century Northumbria, the same northern kingdom Uhtred calls home, a few centuries earlier. Fans of The Last Kingdom’s shield walls will feel right at home.
Angus Donald
The Outlaw Chronicles retell the Robin Hood legend as gritty medieval adventure, much as Cornwell retold King Arthur in the Warlord Chronicles.
Ken Follett
For readers who want the Middle Ages with less fighting and more intrigue, Follett’s Kingsbridge novels are the natural next step. See our Ken Follett author page.
For more recommendations, see our lists of the best Viking historical fiction, the best historical fiction series and the best historical fiction of all time, or explore our medieval Europe hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Bernard Cornwell written?
Bernard Cornwell has written more than 60 novels: 24 Sharpe novels, 13 books in The Last Kingdom series, three Warlord Chronicles novels, four Grail Quest novels, four Starbuck Chronicles novels, six standalone historical novels, five sailing thrillers and three novels written with his wife as Susannah Kells. He has also written one nonfiction book, Waterloo.
What order should I read Bernard Cornwell’s books in?
Read each series in its own order: The Last Kingdom from The Last Kingdom to War Lord, the Warlord Chronicles from The Winter King to Excalibur, and the Grail Quest from Harlequin to 1356. Sharpe can be read in chronological order, starting with Sharpe’s Tiger, or in publication order, starting with Sharpe’s Eagle. The different series are not connected, so you can read them in any order.
Where should I start with Bernard Cornwell?
Start with The Last Kingdom if you like Vikings and early English history, Sharpe’s Tiger or Sharpe’s Eagle for the Napoleonic Wars, The Winter King for King Arthur, or Azincourt if you want to try a single standalone novel first.
What is Bernard Cornwell’s best book?
Many readers, and Cornwell himself, consider the Warlord Chronicles his finest work, especially The Winter King. The Last Kingdom is his most popular series, and Sharpe is his most famous character.
What is Bernard Cornwell’s latest book?
His most recent novel is Sharpe’s Storm, published in 2025. It is set in south-western France in late 1813, between Sharpe’s Regiment and Sharpe’s Siege in the series’ chronological order.
Is The Last Kingdom the same as the Saxon Stories?
Yes. The Saxon Stories is the UK name for the series, and The Last Kingdom is the name used in the US and for the television adaptation. Both refer to the same 13 books about Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
Was Bernard Cornwell in The Last Kingdom TV series?
Yes. Cornwell made a cameo appearance in the show’s third season, released in 2018, where he is credited as Beornheard in one episode.
Will there be more Sharpe books?
Cornwell has returned to Sharpe several times in recent years, with Sharpe’s Assassin in 2021, Sharpe’s Command in 2023 and Sharpe’s Storm in 2025. He has suggested Sharpe’s Storm may be the last, but he has never ruled out another.
Will the Starbuck Chronicles continue?
Cornwell has said he would like to return to Nathaniel Starbuck, but no new book has been published since The Bloody Ground in 1996, so the series remains on hold.
Are Bernard Cornwell’s books historically accurate?
Cornwell researches each period carefully and ends every novel with a historical note explaining what is real and what he invented. His main heroes, such as Uhtred, Sharpe and Thomas of Hookton, are fictional, but the battles and campaigns they fight in are real and carefully described.
Are Bernard Cornwell’s books suitable for teenagers?
His novels are written for adults and include graphic battle violence, strong language and some sexual content. Many older teenagers enjoy them, especially The Last Kingdom and the Sharpe novels.
Where does Bernard Cornwell live?
Cornwell lives in the United States with his wife, Judy, dividing his time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Charleston, South Carolina.
Conclusion
Bernard Cornwell has spent more than 40 years bringing history’s battlefields to life, from the shield walls of Saxon England to the squares at Waterloo. His great strength is that he never lets research get in the way of a story, and never lets a story get in the way of the truth: every novel ends by telling you exactly what really happened.
If you are new to him, pick the period that excites you most. Start with The Last Kingdom for the birth of England, Sharpe for the Napoleonic Wars, or The Winter King for King Arthur, and you will have years of reading ahead of you.