The undisputed king of historical military fiction. Cornwell puts you in the mud of Waterloo, the shield walls of Viking England, and the blood and chaos of Agincourt.
About Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell (b. 1944) has written over 60 novels and is widely considered the greatest living writer of historical military fiction. His Sharpe series — 24 novels following Richard Sharpe through the Napoleonic Wars — is one of the longest-running series in British fiction.
His Saxon Stories (The Last Kingdom) brought Viking-era England to a new generation and became the basis for Netflix's hit series. Cornwell's genius is his gift for battle scenes: immersive, terrifying, and historically accurate.
Cornwell writes in multiple historical periods but always focuses on ordinary men caught in extraordinary conflicts. His research is exhaustive, and each novel includes an author's note distinguishing historical fact from dramatic invention.
Start Here
The Last Kingdom
Saxon England in the age of Alfred the Great — Uhtred of Bebbanburg, born Saxon but raised Danish, must choose his people. The perfect gateway into Cornwell's world.
Yes for individual series — each has a clear arc. The Saxon Stories and Sharpe series both have recommended publication orders. Cross-series, books are completely standalone.
The show follows the books closely through roughly the first 6–7 novels, then diverges. The ending of the TV series is original. Both are excellent.
Agincourt (2008) is often cited — a magnificent account of the 1415 battle with a working-class archer as protagonist.
24 novels plus 3 novellas. Chronologically they span 1799–1821. You can read in chronological order (starting with Sharpe's Tiger) or publication order (starting with Sharpe's Rifles).