Books and biography of Cornwall Bernard

The fame for Bernard Cornwall came with"The Adventures of Richard Sharpe." But, in addition to books about the brave soldier of the Royal troops, the author has several historical series, which also became bestsellers.

Childhood

Looking at the open and good-natured CornwallBernard, you can not say that this man had a difficult childhood. He was born during the war, in 1943. Father, a Canadian pilot, returned to Canada. Vicar mother sent him a letter about the birth of a child, but there was no response. And what could a lonely young girl who served in the Air Force do? So Bernard became one of the five adopted children of a wealthy Wiggins family.

Foster parents were members of the fundamentalProtestant church. Father Joe often punished the boy. "He was a good person," recalls Cornwell, "he was just trying to" drive "God into me." At the age of seven, the boy went to study in a preparatory school, then there was a boarding school, which became for him a refuge of common sense. To break out of the sect, where everything was forbidden under the ban, Bernard went to the theology department at the University of London.

At their home television was banned, and,of course, it attracted the BBC. He began working as a reporter under the pseudonym Bernard Cornwell. He wore the name of Wiggins and, while Joe was alive, he did not change it. "Because it was a slap in the face, and he did not deserve it," the writer says. Cornwell is the surname of his own mother. Bernard legitimated the nickname and made his name.

As a child, he accidentally found documents in the house,where were the names of his real parents. He never looked for them, but when he was fifty, he met them. Father William Ogred was married and lived in Canada. Dorothy's mother also married. So, suddenly, Bernard had six brothers and a sister, whom he never knew. "For the first time in my life I was with people who looked like me, who laughed like me, and had the same gait," the writer says.

Personal life

In the late 1970s, when divorced from the firstwife, Cornwell Bernard moved to Belfast to work as a BBC producer. In 1978, a group of tourists from the United States visited Northern Ireland. The film crew, in which Bernard was, came to Edinburgh to shoot them. When the hotel door opened and the travel agent Judy came out of it, Bernard turned to his colleague and said that he would marry her. He kept his word.

He left the BBC and moved to New Jersey, where he livedJudy with three children from his first marriage, but Bernard refused in the Green Card. Unable to get a job, he began writing his first novel about Sharpe. The London literary agent, whom he found, rejected the manuscript on the grounds that no one would want to read about the British army. But a chance meeting with Agent Toby Idi at the parade in New York was decisive - Bernard's first novel was soon published.

Cornwell Bernard had a happy marriage. The family spend summer in Chatham, Massachusetts, where they have two houses, and winter - in Charleston, South Carolina. Cornwell revels in his contrasting marriage. Judy is a vegetarian, engaged in yoga, a parishioner of the local episcopal church, he is an atheist. She eats a salad, drinks "Perrier" and swims a mile a day. He smokes cigars Villiger, swears like a soldier, and drinks whiskey.

Debut with Sharpe

"You write what you want to read," saysCornwall. To create the first cycle about Richard Sharpe, the writer was inspired by a series of novels by S. Forester about Hornblower, captain of the Royal Navy. Bernard really wanted to read about the "land" Hornblower. He was looking for such a novel in all the bookstores, in the hope that someone wrote it. And once I thought, why should not he create such a story himself, because this is a gap on the bookshelf. So the adventures of the soldier Sharpe began.

In the series "The Adventures of Richard Sharpe" by BernardCornwell included twenty-four novels. The works were written in different years, so it is more convenient to place them in chronological order. The battle path of the royal arrow begins at the end of the XVIII century, when Britain waged war in India. The child is a jigger and a former thief, Richard from the very beginning dreams of deserting. But everything changes when it is sent to the enemy's den. The bosses reward him for a successful operation and raise him in rank. About the Indian events four novels are written:

1. "Tiger Sharp's Arrow" (1997).
2. "The Triumph of Sharpe's Arrow" (1998).
3. "The Sharp Arrow's Fortress" (1999).
4. "Trafalgar Sharp's Arrow" (2001).

The hero who took part in the most importantsea ​​battle, sent with a secret mission to Copenhagen. The book "Sharp Sharp Sharp" (2002) tells how he breaks the plans of the French and goes to Spain. In the novel Sharpe's Arrow Guns (1988), Spanish cavalrymen will help Richard avoid captivity, and French troops try to take control of the Iberian Peninsula.

In the book "The Sharp Sharps War" (2003), soldierswill receive a secret mission, but Richard's unit is defeated and loses the banner. To restore honor will help only the French standard, the golden eagle, which must be captured. Will the hero succeed in fulfilling this mission, the writer Bernard Cornwell will tell in the novel "The Sharp Sharp Eagle" (1981).

Battles and battles Sharp's arrow

The British army is defeated and on the vergeriot, since the leadership has no money to pay. A devoted soldier Sharpe is sent for the gold thrown by the Spaniards. But, as it is said in the novel "Sharp's arrow gold" (1981), not only Richard hunts for treasure. In the book "Salvation Sharp's arrow" (2004), the brave soldier appears envious. Napoleon's army, meanwhile, wins one after another, and Sharpe will fight two more long years in Portugal and Spain:

• "Rage Sharpe's Arrow" (2006).
• "The Battle of Sharpe" (1995).
• "Rota Sharp" (1982).
• Sharpe's Blade (1983).
• the story "Sharpe Shoot" (2002).
• "The Enemy of Sharpe" (1983).
• "Honor of Sharpe" (1985).

In the novel "Polk Sharp" (1986), the hero brieflyreturns to England. In the story "Christmas Sharp" (2003), a brave and faithful soldier is sent to the border of France and Spain. Three books tell about the battles now of Colonel Sharpe in France: "The Siege of Sharp" (1987), "The Revenge of Sharp" (1989) and "Waterloo Sharpa" (1990). In the story "Redemption of Sharpe" (2003), he will stay in Christmas in Normandy, and in the last novel of this cycle, "The Devil of Sharp" (1992) will go to Chile.

Historical chronicles

In the series about Nathaniel Starbuck, the author talks aboutthe war of the North and South in America. In the first book "The Rebel" (1993) Nathaniel, a guy from the North, arrives in the capital of the Confederation, joins an elite unit and fights on the side of the southerners. He participates in the battles, but the hero's northern origin can not be hidden. In the novel "The Defector" (1994) he will be called a spy and will begin to pursue. To whitewash his name, Nathaniel will have to go to the enemy's territory and find a real traitor. The third book "The Battle Flag" (1995) tells of one of the most decisive battles of that war. In the final novel "Bloody Land" (1996), the author tells about the Battle of Sharpsberg, which remained in the memory of Americans as the bloodiest day of the Civil War.

In the four novels of the series "The Quest for the Grail" CornwellBernard talks about the Hundred Years War. In the first part of the Harlequin (2000) archer Thomas, the son of the deceased abbot, vows to return the relic stolen by the Harlequin gang. In the second book "The Wanderer" (2002) describes the ruthless and brutal battles of the British and French. The war-ravaged France is at the brink of ruin. On the territory where bloody battles are fought, Thomas is looking for a shrine that can give victory. In the third part of the "Heretic" (2003), Thomas, wandering in search of the Holy Grail, is in the realm of the plague. A century-old war is in full swing, the archer is ordered to find the sword of St. Peter. Near the city of Poitiers, the British army is arranged a trap. One of the greatest battles of this war is the final novel "1356" (2012).

The series about King Arthur begins with the book "KingWinter "(1995), in which chaos is about to sweep Britain. The Britons who have appeared in the ring of barbarians understand that there is no help to wait. But Arthur will come - the great commander, who will repel the invasion. To summon the old gods to help him, the druid Merlin in the second part of "The Enemy of God" (1996) will look for the Thirteen Treasures. Christians will declare Arthur the enemy of God. The rebellion of Lancelot weakens Arthur's power, but he owns one of the treasures - Excalibur, which the reader learns from the final book Excalibur (1997).

Saxon Chronicles

Bernard Cornwell in a cycle of ten bookstells of the struggle between the Danes and the Norwegians who questioned the existence of Britain. But King Alfred the Great intends to defend its independence. In the first book "The Last Kingdom" (2004) the reader gets acquainted with the main character Utred. Raised by the Danes as a Viking, he faces a choice - to defend his native land or to stand on the side of conquerors. In the novel "The Poor Horseman" (2005) he makes a choice. The third book "The Lord of the North" (2006) tells about the journey of Utrred to the north of the island.

"The Song of the Heavenly Sword" (2007) narrates aboutarmistice between the Danes and King Alfred, who instructs the military commander Utrred to defeat London from the Norwegians who captured him and present him as a gift to the daughter's wedding. A rebellious military commander wants to return the patrimony and not depend on anyone. In the novel "Burning Land" (2009), King Alfred tries to force the military commander to serve him in truths and falsities. About his devotion and choice, when Alfred is lying on his deathbed, tells the book "The Death of Kings" (2011).

After Alfred's death, power passes to his sonEdward. Uhtred fell into disrepute with the new king, the novel The Pagan Lord (2012) narrates about his struggle for his possessions. In the book "The Empty Throne" (2013), the kingdom is plunged into turmoil, and from the west, to wreck the country, the Vikings come. They unite with the Irish and move north. They are headed by the fierce warrior Ragnall, whose brother is married to the daughter of Utrred. In the novel "Warriors of the storm" (2014), the main character faces a difficult choice between family and devotion. The "Saxon Chronicles" Bernard Cornwell completes the novel "Carrying the Fire" (2016), where he will tell whether Utrred will be able to return the patrimony.

Cornwell's Books

Bernard Cornwell is probably the most famous andwidely read author of historical books. Cornwell conducts a huge amount of research and as accurately as possible "inscribes" them into the plot. Fiction and the historical component, like puzzles, are closely matched to each other, and there are no roughnesses and unevennesses. Characters and locations are spelled out clearly, nothing superfluous, everyone has an individuality and is easily remembered.

The author is first and foremost the narrator, and histhe duty is to tell the story. Cornwell handles this perfectly: the language is easy, the battle scenes describe dynamically, giving special attention to weapons. He paints the details so expertly that the reader in the novels of Bernard Cornwell, from the first lines, plunges into the events described by the author.