History Creator / BernardCornwell

* AntiHero: Derfel is the closest to a clean-cut hero and even he is relatively unfazed by what most people would consider horrifying.

* CantUnhearIt: Cornwell is such a fan of Creator/SeanBean's performance as Richard Sharpe that he actually {{retconned}} Sharpe's backstory in the books to include time OopNorth to justify Bean's Sheffield accent.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Most of his protagonists fall into this category, with [[Literature/TheSaxonStories Uhtred]] verging on being a SociopathicHero at points. Even the nicest of his protagonists, [[Literature/TheWarlordChronicles Derfel]], has moments of this - though he's consistently a NiceGuy.

** ''The Starbuck Chronicles'' features Sharpe's adult son Patrick Lassan. He even has Sharpe's old sword!

%%* OneMillionBC

* KillEmAll: Even prominent and well-loved characters are prone to getting killed, often [[DroppedABridgeOnHim quite unceremoniously]].
** The story goes that Cornwell's editor asked him to invoke ImprobableInfantSurvival and not kill off the EnsignNewbie in ''Sharpe's Eagle''. Instead, he turned dying ensigns into a BlackComedy RunningGag.

* ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'' -- [[{{Demythification}} "realistic"]] [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane retelling]] of the Myth/KingArthur legends, set around the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in the 5th century.

** Richard Sharpe is named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sharp a rugby player.]] Cornwell initially intended this only as a better placeholder than "Lieutenant XXX", but [[ThrowItIn it quickly stuck]].

Cornwell was inspired by the Literature/HoratioHornblower naval novels of C.S. Forester and decided to write stuff like that about the army. His first novel, ''Sharpe's Eagle'', was published in 1981 and the rest is history. Three decades later, he's still at it, and has helped inspire other contemporary authors of historical fiction.

->''"To keep on writing - every day. To wait for inspiration is a sure way to start Googling sites such as ‘Exciting Careers in Accountancy’. And, new writers excepted, there is no such thing as writer’s block. Okay, some days it’s like swimming through treacle, but you still have to keep going. I’ll believe in writer’s block the day that a hospital accepts a nurse’s absence because she has ‘nurse’s block’. His or her job is FAR more difficult than a writer’s job."''
-->(On being asked what was the most important thing he'd learned in his writing experience).

* BraveScot: Regardless of whether the book is set in The Dark Ages, The High Middle Ages or the 19th century, if there are Scots in a Cornwell work you can bet they'll be badass.

* CorruptChurch: Mainly as an institution, but also individual clergy and lay people, though there are decent ones too. Gets more noticeable with later-written works. {{Justified}} whenever he's writing about the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, as even the modern Catholics admit they were ''incredibly'' corrupt.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: A given considering historical fiction. In his first Saxon book, the protagonist Uhtred recalls Norsemen raping women after raids, and though he didn't take part himself (being a ChickMagnet), he isn't particularly bothered by it either.
** Even the consistent NiceGuy of Cornwell's protagonists, Derfel Cadarn of ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'', is a Dark Ages warlord who's not particularly fazed by human sacrifice, or ColdBloodedTorture.

** The ''Saxon Stories'' feature [[UsefulNotes/AlfredTheGreat Alfred the Great]] of England. The protagonist Uhtred is named after a real Uhtred of Bebbanburg who Cornwell claims to be descended from.

* KillEmAll: The only reason Mr. Cornwell doesn't have the same reputation as, say, Creator/GeorgeRRMartin (the two are [[http://www.bernardcornwell.net/interview-with-george-r-r-martin/ mutual fans]]) is likely because he's comparatively less well-known (in America). Even prominent and well-loved characters are prone to getting killed, often [[DroppedABridgeOnHim quite unceremoniously]].

%%* TheLateMiddleAges
%%* TheLowMiddleAges: The setting of ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'' and ''Literature/TheSaxonStories''.
%%* TheDarkAges: The setting of ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'' and ''Literature/TheSaxonStories''.
* The McGuffin:

** The story goes that Cornwell's editor asked him to invoke InfantImmortality and not kill off the EnsignNewbie in ''Sharpe's Eagle''. Instead, he turned dying ensigns into a BlackComedy RunningGag.

* ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'' -- [[{{Demythtification}} "realistic"]] [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane retelling]] of the Myth/KingArthur legends, set around the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in the 5th century.

* ''Fools And Mortals'' -- set in Elizabethan England, charting the fortunes of UsefulNotes/WilliamShakespeare and his theatre company. Has the distinction of being his first - and to date only - book in which nobody dies.

* UsefulNotes/AngloSaxons: Antagonists in ''The Warlord Chronicles'', protagonists in ''The Saxon Stories''.
* AntiHero: His protagonists are usually this. Derfel is the closest to a clean-cut hero and even he is relatively unfazed by what most people would consider horrifying.

* TheCavalierYears

* TheLateMiddleAges
* TheLowMiddleAges[=/=]TheDarkAges: The setting of ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'' and ''Literature/TheSaxonStories''.

* OneMillionBC

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits
* RatedMForManly

* WarIsGlorious
* WarIsHell
* WoodenShipsAndIronMen: Whenever Sharpe gets on a boat.

** Richard Sharpe is named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sharp a rugby player.]] Cornwell initially intended this only as a better placeholder than "Lieutenant X", but [[ThrowItIn it quickly stuck]].

* StephenUlyssesPerHero: The protagonist of ''Gallows Thief'' is a retired ''cavalryman'' turned private investigator called ''Rider'' Sandman.

* AuthorAppeal: Aside from the war stuff, Cornwell has also written contemporary thrillers revolving around sailing - the only non-historical fiction stuff he's done. [[WriteWhatYouKnow He's an avid sailor and owns his own boat.]]
** This carries over into Literature/TheSaxonStories where the various Danish ships, their construction and maintenance are extensively - though never boringly - described.
** Mr. Bernard Cornwell would like you to know that English Archers Are Badass. Even in the novels set well before the longbow came to prominence there WILL be a character who is a master archer and the protagonist WILL gush about the efficacy of archery.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: A given considering historical fiction. In his first Saxon book, the protagonist (a Norseman) recalls the raping of women after raids, and though he didn't take part himself (being a ChickMagnet), he isn't particularly bothered by it either.

* KillEmAll: the only reason Mr. Cornwell doesn't have the same reputation as, say, Creator/GeorgeRRMartin is likely because he's comparatively less well-known (in America). Even prominent and well-loved characters are prone to getting killed, often [[DroppedABridgeOnHim quite unceremoniously]].

* OrphanedSeries: Further books of the ''Starbuck Chronicles'' are increasingly unlikely. The series was put on hold after reaching the Battle of Antietam when Cornwell decided to write more ''Sharpe'', and then he began other series...
** There's also the fact that he apparently found it increasingly difficult to write a convincingly sympathetic story from the Confederate point of view.

** Richard Sharpe is named after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sharp a rugby player.]]

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: A given considering historical fiction. In his first Saxon book, the protagonist (a Norseman) recalls raping women after raids.

** Derfel in ''The Warlord Chronicles'' is based on a possibly legendary saint by that name. The Saxon pioneer leaders in Britain like Aelle and Cerdic also feature.

* TheLowMiddleAges / TheDarkAges

** ''Sharpe's Rifles'' has the Holy Banner of Santiago (St. James), the oriflamme flag dating from the Reconquest, which is to be used as a symbolic rallying point for Spanish resistance to Napoleon. Everybody wants it - except Sharpe.

** The protagonist of ''Gallows Thief'' is a retired cavalryman who was once saved by a (familiar-sounding) Rifle officer and his men.

** ''Sharpe's Rifles'' has the Holy Banner of Santiago, the oriflamme flag dating from the Reconquest, which is to be used as a symbolic rallying point for Spanish resistance to Napoleon. Everybody wants it - except Sharpe.

* OrphanedSeries: Further books of the Starbuck Chronicles are increasingly unlikely. The series was put on hold after reaching the Battle of Antietam when Cornwell decided to write more Sharpe, and then he began other series...

** ''The Starbuck Chronicles'' features Sharpe's adult son Lassan. He even has Sharpe's old sword!

* KillEmAll: the only reason Mr. Cornwell doesn't have the same reputation as, say, [[Creator/GeorgeRRMartin]] is likely because he's comparatively less well-known. Even prominent and well-loved characters are prone to getting killed, often [[DroppedABridgeOnHim quite unceremoniously]].

* The McGuffin: The Holy Banner of Santiago, the oriflamme flag dating from the Reconquest, which is to be used as a symbolic rallying point for Spanish resistance to Napoleon. Everybody wants it - except Sharpe.

* KillEmAll: the only reason Mr. Cornwell doesn't have the same reputation as, say, GeorgeRRMartin is likely because he's comparatively less well-known. Even prominent and well-loved characters are prone to getting killed, often [[DroppedABridgeOnHim quite unceremoniously]].

* KillEmAll: the only reason Mr. Cornwell doesn't have the same reputation as, say, GeorgeRRMartin is likely because he's comparatively less well-known. Even prominent and well-loved characters are prone to getting killed, often [[DroppedABridgeOnHim quite unceremoniously]]].

* AuthorAppeal: Aside from the war stuff, Cornwell has also written contemporary thrillers revolving around sailing - the only non-historical fiction stuff he's done. [[WriteWhatYouKnow He's an avid sailor and owns his own boat.]]4

* ''Literature/{{FoolsAndMortals}}'' -- set in Elizabethan England, charting the fortunes of UsefulNotes/WilliamShakespeare and his theatre company. Has the distinction of being his first - and to date only - book in which nobody dies.

* CreatorProvincialism: Shows in the full title of his 2014 non-fiction book ''Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles''[[note]] meaning the battles of Ligny (Napoleon against Blücher, June 16), Quatre Bras (Wellington against Ney, June 16), and Waterloo (Napoleon against Wellington and Blücher, June 18)[[/note]]'', which ignores the battle of Wavre (Thielmann's Prussian corps versus Grouchy's army, June 18-19) and also ignores the numerous battles, skirmishes and sieges -- for the most part fought by the Prussians -- that followed until the Allies arrived before the gates of Paris at the beginning of July 1815.