New Bernard Cornwell...27.9.12 ..."1356"

[DJRC]

A new Thomas Hookton novel, leading up to Poitiers.

Amazon have it on pre-order discount.

[Ayahuasca]

These always make we want to go out and buy a longbow and some bodkin-tipped clothyard arrows.

[oj121]

All ordered and on route to me in hardback form to go with my full set of the Arthur trilogy, the saxon chronicles and the other Hookton hardback.

Between Cornwell and Simon Scarrow id happily read very little else.

[MercuryRises]

oj121 said:

All ordered and on route to me in hardback form to go with my full set of the Arthur trilogy, the saxon chronicles and the other Hookton hardback.

Between Cornwell and Simon Scarrow id happily read very little else.

Between those two, I happily read little else for about a year. I even went as far as reading the whole Sharpe series in order, with nothing in between. After that I had to stop for a while

[stuartmmcfc]

1356 arrived today- so thanks for the heads up on this one.

If you like this sort of stuff can i recommend Conn Iggulden's triology about Julius Ceasar and the 5 books about Gengis Khan?
Me and my old, old man (!) used to think Cornwells books were the most enjoyable we'd ever read but over the last year we'd both say that these have overtaken them in our opinion!
He also wrote "the dangerous book for boys" which has long been my lads "bible"

Thats not to say I'm not really looking forward to this read though

[Trefy5]

Cheapskate that I am I shall wait for the pb
His writing can become frustrating
Not his style but the way he leaves you hanging - not completing a series
The one that stands out for me are the Starbuck Chronicles

I have the Sharpe books but has he finished those?
I shall read them back-to-back one day... year

I've heard a lot of good said about Simon Scarrow so looks like another author on the horizon for me

Back to Cornwell, I've not started the Alfred(Warrior) books as I know I shall want to read them straight through as well

I've not read the Warlord Chronicles for about ten years so may've it's time to indulge

[stuartmmcfc]

cheapskate

[Trefy5]

mind, all the rest are paperback so...

I do have all the Alexander Kent's in HB [ but that's a whole other matter ]

[DJRC]

Kindle for me

Ive read some Scarrow aswell. Anthony Riches and his Empire series is worth a peruse, very good.

Highly recommended from me is James McGee and his Mathew Hawkwood series.

[TheHangingJudge]

Just finished this, great book as ever. Tend to agree with the one review I have read that says that some of the story threads get wrapped up a bit too quickly at the end. Totally agree with the post above re Conn Iggulden, he is a very good story teller. Although for me, the master of historic fiction is/was Patrick O’Brian. Totally different style of book though.

[stuartmmcfc]

i finished it at the weekend.
I really enjoyed it but I did think it "wrapped' itself up a bit quick turning itself into another chapter in an never ending story- but what should i have expected from the author of Sharpe (*not meant as a criticism as such!)

A great page turner but i didn't think it was his best or all that different from his rest.

(Fwiw I thought Azincourt was his best)

[Ayahuasca]

TheHangingJudge said:

the master of historic fiction is/was Patrick O’Brian. Totally different style of book though.

Agreed.

According to Bernard Cornwell's website his early influence was CS Forrester's Hornblower series.

[DJRC]

I enjoyed it, good conclusion to the "Grail Quest" series I thought. Fairly stunning when you think about what the Black Prince achieved at Poitiers! Fairly stunning aswell to think how France came back from those pretty horrific defeats.

Anyway, time to wrap up the Wessex series now BC.