February 2017
by Richard Tearle
a Discovering Diamonds Reviewer
Bernard Cornwell OBE |
It wasn't as a waitress in a
cocktail bar that I was working, but as controller in a taxi office. Mid
evening and business was slow, the television was on but not promising much.
Enter one of the drivers: “Has it started yet?”
“What?” I asked.
“Sharpe! Quick!”
I changed channels and then
watched one of the best two hours of television I have ever seen.
That was my introduction to
Bernard Cornwell. I had not heard of him before, but now I was curious and over
a period of time, I acquired all of the Sharpe
stories so far written. Suffice it to say that waiting for the next
instalment was almost agony at times.
What made Sharpe so popular? Leaving aside Sean Bean, the excellent
adaptations and charismatic stars for the television, the books were well
paced, well written and always enjoyable. They were formulaic, buddy-buddy
stories with the hero becoming involved in pieces of history which, hitherto,
had not been an interest of mine. I didn't become an expert on the Napoleonic Wars
from reading Sharpe, but it began an
interest in the subject that I had not expected. And that has to be down to
Bernard Cornwell.
I soon realised that the wait
between new Sharpe books was longer
because he was writing others in between. When I saw that he was doing an
Arthurian trilogy – The Winter King, Enemy of God, Excalibur - I snapped
them up. In these, he answered my question as to whether he could write outside
of the easy-going Sharpe tales and
discovered that not only could he, but had written what I had been wanting to
see for a long time: Arthur, but in a much more realistic and plausible sense
than I had ever read before. Yes, there are some familiar names there, but none
of them in the traditional chivalric knights and gallant quests that I was used
to. Gritty stuff that summed up the Dark Ages perfectly.
Over the years, I read of Thomas
of Hookton in the Grail Quest series, the events of Azincourt and
1356, the building of Stonehenge and even the Victorian mystery, The
Gallows Thief. The only ones I didn't try was the Starbuck series –
one day I might get around to them.
I was well fed and bloated on the
Cornwell catalogue.
And then came Uhtred.
The Last Kingdom was the
first in this still continuing series. And what a début! Here was the
historical period I wanted to read about, one that I had unknowingly craved!
Uhtred, in loyalties, half English, half Danish. Bitter in his loss of his inheritance,
determined to win it back but always being deflected away from his goal –
usually by a totally believable Alfred.
I didn't like Uhtred at first. He
was arrogant, obstinate, a know-it-all and, to be honest, quite unlikable. But
it wasn't until a couple of books in that I realised: that's how he is meant to be. That's how he and his real-life
kind would have been like. Cornwell had hooked me again! He had given me a true
warrior, an Alfred that had flesh and bones, my first introduction to a fabulous
(real life) lady called Æthelflaed
and a new derogatory term to mutter under my breath: Arseling.
But Uhtred also gives us a bit of
an insight into the man, Cornwell, himself. Adopted as a child he was brought
up in a strict religious family and has admitted that Uhtred often reflects his
views. Cornwell grew up with the novels of C. S. Forester and it was from him
that he first got the idea of writing about the military battles of those wars.
He became a teacher and then moved on to the BBC, working on Nationwide and
becoming Head of Current Affairs in Northern Ireland before moving on again to
Thames TV as an editor. He met and married his second wife in Edinburgh and,
following their marriage, they relocated to her native United States. Writing
then became his full time occupation and book followed book at a rapid rate. In
the Honours List for the Queen's 80th Birthday, he was made an OBE.
I have not met Bernard Cornwell –
nor ever likely to – but if I were a chat show host, he would be amongst my
first guests.
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell OBE |
L-R: Helen Hart (publisher, SilverWood Books Ltd,
Bernard Cornwell, Helen Hollick
DID YOU MISS.... ?
A Thank You to Rosemary Sutcliff by Helen Hollick
A Thank You to Harriet Doerr by Inge H. Borg
A Thank You to Richard Zimler by Christoph Fischer
A Thank You to Lindsey Davis by AlisonMorton
A Thank You to Barbara Erskine by Nicky Galliers
A Thank You to Helen Hollick by Annie Whitehead
A Thank You to Sharon K. Penman by Annie Whitehead
A Thank You to Dorothy Dunnett by J.G. Harlond
A Thank You to Richard Zimler by Christoph Fischer
A Thank You to Lindsey Davis by AlisonMorton
A Thank You to Barbara Erskine by Nicky Galliers
A Thank You to Helen Hollick by Annie Whitehead
A Thank You to Sharon K. Penman by Annie Whitehead
A Thank You to Dorothy Dunnett by J.G. Harlond
Very entertaining. Thank you, Helen, for all your hard work!
ReplyDeletemy pleasure Susan!
DeleteA great post, Richard!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the return of Uhtred!
100% agree Alison (to both points!)
DeleteThank you Alison! Much appfreciated and, yes, can't wait!
DeleteI have been lured in, in much the same way, except I started with Uhtred. I am now devouring Sharpe, and the Arthur books as well, all while eagerly awaiting Uhtred's next story. Thank you for opening my soul, and shining light into some of its unknown corners. Pulling out some of the energy, and passion I was not aware I had about some of the subjects. You have helped make me a better, more well rounded, educated man. I find myself looking at old maps, and watching Englaland form. Reading about the lives of historical figures from those times. Thank you for all that you've done, and continue to do.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
John
Thank you John, I will pass your comment on to Bernard.
DeleteThank you, John - 'pulling out some of the energy and passion' is exactly how I felt and sums up what it takes to be a great novelist.
Deletei went years without reading, now Bernard Cornwell as made me fall in love with the process again
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean Johhny, it does occasionally takes a good writer, telling a good story to re-kick-start the reading process.
DeleteHow new must submissions be? Are older titles submittable?
ReplyDeletewe accept any 'age' at the moment
Delete