Bernard Cornwell is an English historical novelist; the Best Bernard Cornwell Books appear where battlefield history meets lived human motives. He was born in London in 1944 and built his career after years in British television. His work spans the Napoleonic era, early medieval England, and Arthurian Britain. Readers know him for the Napoleonic rifleman Richard Sharpe and for Uhtred of Bebbanburg in The Saxon Stories. Signature titles include Sharpe’s Eagle and The Last Kingdom. Cornwell has published across four decades, beginning in 1981. Several series reached the screen, including a BBC/Netflix adaptation of The Last Kingdom. The arc of his career runs from first Sharpe novels to recent finales in Uhtred’s saga.
Cornwell’s breakout arrived with Sharpe’s Eagle in 1981, which opened the long-running Peninsular War cycle. His most broadly popular work today is The Saxon Stories, whose television success widened his audience. Across series, motifs recur: soldiering, state-building, oath-keeping, faith, and power. Readers return for clear timelines and decisive set-pieces that track with the historical record. This ranked guide includes 25 titles from his major cycles. The selections emphasize full-length novels with strong reader consensus. The list is sequenced in rising rating order; ties by year, then title. Together, these novels show how the Best Bernard Cornwell Books map wars to the making of nations.
25 Best Bernard Cornwell Books in a Rising Rating Order
Methodology & Updates
Sources: Goodreads “work” pages captured October 21, 2025; tie-breaks use earlier publication year, then A–Z title; occasional re-ratings may shift positions over time. This ranked guide to the Best Bernard Cornwell Books applies a ≥3.0 threshold and organizes titles by rising reader ratings.
#1) Sharpe’s Tiger – 1997
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1997
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Sharpe series, Napoleonic India
- Themes: survival, ambition, loyalty, command
- Goodreads Rating: 4.14/5
In 1799, British forces drive toward Tipu Sultan’s stronghold at Seringapatam, and private Richard Sharpe enters the army’s ranks. A dangerous mission inside enemy lines exposes a spy game around the sultan’s court. Sharpe seeks promotion and a path out of the ranks. He collides with officers who use him and allies who cannot be trusted. The siege hardens as reconnaissance and betrayal complicate the plan. New orders force a daring infiltration and a rescue fraught with risk. The assault looms, pointing Sharpe toward his first decisive test and a battlefield reckoning. The campaign’s outcome resets his station and the enemies who will shadow him.
#2) Vagabond – 2002
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2002
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Grail Quest, Hundred Years’ War
- Themes: faith, survival, vengeance, war
- Goodreads Rating: 4.14/5
In 1346–47, archer Thomas of Hookton returns to England hunting a killer tied to his family. The killing exposes clues to a fabled relic that rivals covet. Thomas seeks proof, truth, and a reckoning with his past. A noble house, a rival archer, and churchmen with secrets tighten the noose. Skirmishes, ambushes, and forays across winter roads deepen the trail. A captured letter and a treacherous bargain redirect the pursuit toward the north. The endgame gathers at a fortified refuge, with feints masking the decisive move. The last page narrows the quest and sharpens the next march.
#3) Harlequin – 2000
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2000
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Grail Quest, Hundred Years’ War
- Themes: destiny, faith, loyalty, pursuit
- Goodreads Rating: 4.15/5
On the eve of the 1346 campaign, Thomas of Hookton joins a raiding force into France. A village raid and a murder ignite a hunt for a relic. Thomas wants answers about his father and a stolen secret. He tangles with a ruthless knight, church agents, and shifting company loyalties. The chevauchée tears across countryside toward a set-piece battle. Clues surface among prisoners and plunder, steering the search. The clash nears, promising victory for some and revelation for others. The march ends with a lead that sends Thomas deeper into France.
#4) Agincourt – 2008
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2008
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, standalone, Hundred Years’ War
- Themes: duty, endurance, leadership, fate
- Goodreads Rating: 4.16/5
English archer Nicholas Hook flees a feud and enters Henry V’s army. A brutal siege at Harfleur establishes the stakes and the stakes’ cost. Hook seeks survival and a place among seasoned veterans. He navigates rivalries, a rescued woman’s peril, and commanders’ shifting plans. Marching toward Picardy, dysentery and hunger thin the ranks. Scouts bring word of massed French nobles and blocked roads. A muddy field becomes the arena for a desperate stand and narrow hope. The outcome seals Hook’s path and the army’s legend.
#5) Heretic – 2003
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2003
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Grail Quest, Hundred Years’ War
- Themes: faith, betrayal, obsession, siege
- Goodreads Rating: 4.18/5
Thomas of Hookton follows the relic’s trail into Languedoc. A fortified town and a rival order shape the terrain. Thomas wants proof and freedom from the faction that hunts him. He negotiates with mercenaries, a lord’s household, and a dangerous priest. Traps and sorties unsettle both besiegers and besieged. A discovery hints at the relic’s true nature as loyalties crack. The final gambit forces a choice at the town’s walls. Aftermath fixes the quest’s cost and the next horizon.
#6) Sharpe’s Company – 1982
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1982
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Sharpe series, Peninsular War
- Themes: courage, command, honor, siege
- Goodreads Rating: 4.22/5
In 1812, British forces prepare to storm Badajoz. Captain Richard Sharpe faces a ruthless rival within his regiment. He seeks to hold his company together and secure advancement. Tensions with officers, a contested romance, and grim orders press him hard. Reconnaissance and scaling-ladder plans meet shifting enemy defenses. A betrayal complicates the assault and strains fragile alliances. The breach approaches, promising ferocious street fighting and narrow chances. The city’s fall will decide careers, vows, and vendettas.
#7) Sharpe’s Rifles – 1988
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1988
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Sharpe series, Peninsular War
- Themes: initiative, identity, cohesion, tactics
- Goodreads Rating: 4.26/5
Retreating through Galicia in 1809, a scattered British column fights to survive. Sharpe assumes command of green riflemen after their captain falls. He aims to forge a unit and guide them to safety. A Spanish ally, a priest with secrets, and French patrols complicate the route. Ambushes and mountain weather erode morale and supplies. A captured cache and a false lead force a new plan. The climax gathers at a fortified monastery with a risky assault. The survivors leave with a leader’s bond sealed in hardship.
#8) The Winter King – 1995
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1995
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Warlord Chronicles, Arthurian Britain
- Themes: kingship, oath, religion, war
- Goodreads Rating: 4.26/5
In a fractured post-Roman Britain, Derfel Cadarn narrates Arthur’s rise. A contested succession and Saxon pressure set the conflict. Arthur seeks fragile unity and a future for the island’s kingdoms. He navigates love, rival princes, and priests at odds over old and new gods. Raids and negotiations swing alliances across the west. A grave insult triggers a cycle of vengeance and reprisal. Battle lines form toward a reckoning that can remake borders. The book ends with order gained but war ensured.
Early Currents in the Best Bernard Cornwell Books
#9) The Last Kingdom – 2004
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2004
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: identity, faith, rule, belonging
- Goodreads Rating: 4.27/5
Uhtred of Bebbanburg, born a Saxon and raised among Danes, speaks in old age of youth. Viking raids and a family killing set his path. He seeks land, name, and the right to choose his lord. Alfred’s clerks, Danish warlords, and foster ties pull him both ways. Small shield-walls and river forays become brutal instruction. A stolen banner and a failed promise alter the calculus. A decisive battle approaches, with oaths tilting the line of march. After victory and loss, Uhtred’s allegiance remains fierce and unresolved.
#10) The Burning Land – 2009
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2009
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: oath, ambition, frontier, siege
- Goodreads Rating: 4.29/5
Uhtred fractures with Alfred and rides north. A new warlord alliance tempts him away from Wessex. He seeks freedom, plunder, and a chance to reclaim Bebbanburg. A pagan seer, a sworn enemy, and tangled kinships shape choices. Raids escalate toward a contested fortress and river crossings. A feint opens an unexpected avenue of attack. The campaign converges on a battle no side can afford to lose. Uhtred’s return carries terms that will bind him again.
Second Surge in the Best Bernard Cornwell Books
#11) Sharpe’s Eagle – 1981
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1981
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Sharpe series, Peninsular War
- Themes: honor, rivalry, courage, redemption
- Goodreads Rating: 4.30/5
In 1809, the British army drives into Spain. A disgraced officer threatens Sharpe’s future and his men’s trust. Sharpe needs a victory that cannot be denied. Alliances with a Portuguese unit and a volatile colonel complicate tactics. Marches and skirmishes lead toward a French standard. A raid and a deception set up the main engagement. The battle offers a single, visible prize to settle scores. The regiment’s colors and Sharpe’s standing turn on that moment.
#12) The Pale Horseman – 2005
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2005
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: exile, oath, faith, survival
- Goodreads Rating: 4.31/5
Driven to the marshes, Alfred and a small band hide in Athelney. Danish armies hold the land, and refuges burn. Uhtred wants freedom yet cannot shake duty to Wessex. He navigates a ship’s crew, priests, and bitter noble houses. Raids on river towns gather food and intelligence. A shattered oath spurs a necessary reconciliation. The shield-wall forms for a battle to save a kingdom. Afterward, Uhtred carries both reward and renewed enmity.
#13) Death of Kings – 2011
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2011
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: succession, faith, treachery, fate
- Goodreads Rating: 4.31/5
As Alfred’s health fails, rivals circle the throne. A young heir’s future divides the court. Uhtred wants his land back and room to fight on his terms. He contends with a cunning queen, quicksilver lords, and pagan kinsmen. Assassins and envoys clash as armies gather. A captured secret turns a stalemate into opportunity. The final engagement tests oaths and bloodlines without neat closure. The victors hold ground while old feuds endure.
#14) Sword Song – 2007
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2007
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: city, strategy, oath, ambition
- Goodreads Rating: 4.32/5
Uhtred returns to London, a river city under threat. A Danish prince eyes the city as a prize. Uhtred seeks command, wealth, and leverage over enemies. A marriage alliance, uneasy truces, and a priest’s schemes complicate plans. Street fights and river fights test a thin garrison. A ruse splits the besiegers and invites a strike. The approach to battle narrows to gates, bridges, and tide. London holds—barely—and Uhtred counts the cost.
#15) Sharpe’s Waterloo – 1990
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1990
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Sharpe series, Waterloo campaign
- Themes: duty, endurance, leadership, fate
- Goodreads Rating: 4.34/5
In June 1815, armies converge in Belgium. Sharpe returns to the line under old commanders. He aims to steady his men and settle lingering scores. A spy network, a feud, and orders from above tug the plan. Rear-guard fights and farmstead skirmishes mark the approach. The ridge becomes the stage for the final collision. Sharpe sights the moment that will break or hold the line. After the smoke clears, the war’s ledger closes on him too.
#16) Lords of the North – 2006
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2006
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: revenge, rule, slavery, home
- Goodreads Rating: 4.36/5
Uhtred rides north to settle a personal debt. The north is ruled by slavers and quarrelling earls. He seeks justice for a friend and a path back to Bebbanburg. A monk’s errand, a scarred lord, and brittle alliances drive events. Raids free captives but ignite larger reprisals. Ruse and counter-ruse shift control of a stronghold. The final push promises freedom for some and exile for others. Uhtred leaves with scars and a narrowed list of enemies.
Momentum Builds in the Best Bernard Cornwell Books
#17) The Pagan Lord – 2013
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2013
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: belief, blood, inheritance, war
- Goodreads Rating: 4.36/5
Uhtred, estranged from kin, stakes everything on reclaiming his fortress. A new Danish coalition threatens the line of kingdoms. He wants Bebbanburg and a legacy for his son. Churchmen, jarls, and a treacherous cousin raise fresh obstacles. Marches and sea voyages tighten the theater. A hidden approach and a double-cross change the odds. Battle gathers with winter wind and iron discipline. The outcome redraws maps and family bonds.
#18) War of the Wolf – 2018
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2018
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: succession, rivalry, fate, strategy
- Goodreads Rating: 4.36/5
Years later, a new war leader rises in the north. Uhtred returns to guard a fragile peace. He seeks to blunt an upstart’s bid for a crown. Marriage politics, hired swords, and old grudges thicken the plot. Raids on coasts and marches unsettle border towns. A captured hostage and a false treaty force a pivot. The final meeting of shield-walls becomes inevitable. The victory is costly and never absolute.
#19) The Empty Throne – 2014
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2014
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: regency, counsel, ambition, law
- Goodreads Rating: 4.38/5
After a leader’s death, rival claims split the court. Uhtred maneuvers between factions to stabilize the realm. He seeks leverage that protects allies and house. A widow, a rival prince, and an old enemy crowd the field. River fights and courtroom fights run in parallel. A relic and a forged claim twist the balance. The climactic council forces a public choice under oath. A settlement holds, but only while swords stay sheathed.
#20) Enemy of God – 1996
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1996
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Warlord Chronicles, Arthurian Britain
- Themes: myth, politics, faith, kinship
- Goodreads Rating: 4.42/5
Derfel recounts the struggle to hold Arthur’s fragile peace. A queen’s scandal and rival kings threaten stability. Arthur wants treaties kept and vengeance delayed. Druids, bishops, and warlords test his compromise. Raids, kidnappings, and border feuds reignite war. A cursed relic and a broken alliance darken prospects. The war path narrows toward a grim, necessary stand. The peace that follows feels brittle and brief.
#21) Warriors of the Storm – 2015
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2015
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: invasion, oath, family, sea-power
- Goodreads Rating: 4.42/5
Ships from the north strike at the Irish Sea coast. Uhtred must defend a frontier exposed by river mouths. He seeks to hold allies together while enemies multiply. A raider-king, a treacherous envoy, and church politics muddy the water. Sea fights and marsh fights expand the map. A captured fleet and a storm turn risk into chance. The set-piece ashore decides a town’s fate and a lord’s future. Afterward, Uhtred measures victory in borders held for now.
The Crest of the Best Bernard Cornwell Books
#22) Sword of Kings – 2019
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2019
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: succession, oath, kin, destiny
- Goodreads Rating: 4.42/5
Uhtred sails into a succession crisis. A dying king’s will splits claimants and courts. He wants to keep his house intact as factions rise. Old enemies, a queen’s counsel, and deadly nephews raise stakes. A river chase and night escape fracture plans. A captured ship flips advantage at sea. The march to a coronation invites ambush and betrayal. The crown’s choice seals alliances and future wars.
#23) The Flame Bearer – 2016
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2016
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: homecoming, siege, inheritance, patience
- Goodreads Rating: 4.43/5
Uhtred turns at last toward Bebbanburg. A cunning lord and a fortified headland block the way. He seeks a plan that wins without ruin. A secret tunnel, decoys at sea, and false signals take shape. Enemies within the walls threaten the timetable. A storm and a feint open a narrow window. The final move depends on discipline and luck working together. When the gate closes again, the future finally shifts.
#24) Excalibur – 1997
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 1997
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Warlord Chronicles, Arthurian Britain
- Themes: destiny, betrayal, faith, nation
- Goodreads Rating: 4.44/5
Derfel narrates the last acts of Arthur’s long war. A son, a queen, and a saintly rival strain the uneasy peace. Arthur wants a settlement that spares the innocent. Sorcerers, priests, and oath-breakers pull people toward factions. Rumors of relics and prophecies unsettle soldiers on both sides. A grim campaign pulls armies to a final field. The climax approaches with no promise of triumph. What follows is loss, memory, and the ebb of an age.
#25) War Lord – 2020
- Author: Bernard Cornwell
- Published: 2020
- Work Type / Genre Tags: novel, historical fiction, Saxon Stories, Anglo-Saxon England
- Themes: legacy, unity, oath, reckoning
- Goodreads Rating: 4.60/5
An old Uhtred faces one last call to arms. Saxon and Dane interests intersect over England’s fate. He seeks to hold Bebbanburg and spare those under his care. A king’s ambition, a pretender’s claim, and a northern pact converge. Raids, treaties, and feigned retreats set pieces on the board. A revelation about allies forces a revised plan at speed. The endgame battle promises closure for men and kingdom alike. The story concludes with a settled border and a warrior’s account.
Bernard Cornwell: Career at a Glance
Bernard Cornwell OBE (b. 1944, London) is a British-born, US-based writer of historical novels whose serial storytelling reshaped popular military fiction; he is best known for Richard Sharpe, Uhtred of Bebbanburg in The Saxon Stories, the Arthurian Warlord Chronicles, and the fourteenth-century Grail Quest cycle. A former BBC and Thames Television journalist, he began publishing with Sharpe’s Eagle (1981) and has since produced dozens of novels across medieval and Napoleonic theaters. His work often foregrounds the soldier’s eye view, anchoring plot to verifiable campaigns and terrain. Several series have been adapted for television, including Sharpe and The Last Kingdom. Honors include appointment as OBE in 2006. Across decades, the Best Bernard Cornwell Books have influenced readers, teachers, and writers who prize clarity of action bound to historical consequence.
Conclusion
This guide gathered 25 novels spanning the Napoleonic wars, Arthurian sub-Roman Britain, the Hundred Years’ War, and the forging of England; at a glance, early series “warm-ups” build into established cycles and then recognized high points. For background material used in American classrooms and libraries, see the Library of Congress catalog notes on Cornwell’s works, which situate titles like Sharpe’s Tiger within his broader career (Library of Congress entry). The arc shows how the Best Bernard Cornwell Books grew with readers into a long, coherent project.
Across the list, recurring structures stand out: the march toward a siege, the knife-edge of oaths, and the final reckoning that alters borders or families; together, these novels trace the range from intimate vendettas to national myth. For a US journalistic perspective on his craft in action, see The Washington Post’s review coverage of his medieval war fiction, which situates individual battles within his larger narrative method. In sum, the Best Bernard Cornwell Books reveal how meticulously staged campaigns can carry character arcs across eras.
FAQ: What to know about the Best Bernard Cornwell Books
Q1: Where should a new reader start with Cornwell’s series?
Q2: How does Cornwell balance history and invention?
Q3: Are the Arthurian novels connected to the Saxon series?
Q4: Which standalones reflect his medieval interests outside the big cycles?
Q5: Why do ratings vary across editions on Goodreads?
