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Bernard Cornwell has been writing historical fiction for more than four decades, and his catalogue is big enough that new readers regularly ask the same question: where do I actually start? He didn’t write his series in a straight line — several jump around in time, and at least one was published wildly out of chronological order — so “just read them in publication order” isn’t always the friendliest advice. This guide walks through his major series one at a time, with a clear entry point for each, so you can pick the world that interests you most and dive in with confidence.
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If you want the exhaustive, book-by-book list of everything Cornwell has ever published, our complete Bernard Cornwell reading order covers the full bibliography in both chronological and publication sequence. This guide takes a different approach: it’s built around the question new readers actually ask, which is “which series should I read, and which book do I start with?”
Sharpe: Napoleonic Wars
The series that made Cornwell’s name. Richard Sharpe is a working-class soldier who rises through the ranks of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, from the mud of India to the field at Waterloo, entirely on merit in an officer corps built for gentlemen. It’s the closest thing in Cornwell’s catalogue to a long-running action franchise — sieges, duels, betrayals, and Sharpe’s running feud with the British class system.
Here’s the twist: Cornwell wrote the books wildly out of chronological order. His debut, Sharpe’s Eagle, drops readers into the middle of Sharpe’s career at the Battle of Talavera in 1809 — and that’s still the entry point most fans and Cornwell himself have recommended for new readers, because it’s the book he wrote to work as a standalone introduction. If you’d rather start at the true beginning of Sharpe’s story chronologically, look for Sharpe’s Tiger, set during the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799, which Cornwell wrote later specifically to fill in Sharpe’s origins.
Where to start: Sharpe’s Eagle for the classic entry point, or Sharpe’s Tiger if you want strict chronological order from the start.
Find Sharpe’s Eagle on Amazon →
The Saxon Stories / The Last Kingdom
Cornwell’s other major franchise, and for many readers his best work. The Saxon Stories (the books are also widely known by the title of the Netflix adaptation, The Last Kingdom) follow Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon-born nobleman raised by the Danes who invaded his homeland, as he fights on both sides of the wars that eventually forge a unified England under Alfred the Great and his successors. Unlike Sharpe, this series was written and should be read strictly in order — it’s one long, unbroken story spanning decades of Uhtred’s life.
The thirteen-book series runs from Alfred’s darkest hour, hiding out in the Somerset marshes, through the reigns of his children and grandchildren, tracking the slow, violent birth of England as a single kingdom. Cornwell’s grasp of ninth- and tenth-century warfare, politics, and religion is remarkable, and Uhtred is one of the great conflicted narrators in historical fiction — a pagan raised among Christians, a Saxon who loves the Danes who raised him, loyal to a king he doesn’t always like.
Where to start: Book one, The Last Kingdom. Read the series strictly in order.
Find The Last Kingdom on Amazon →
If Uhtred’s world has you curious about the real archaeology behind Anglo-Saxon England, our piece on the Sutton Hoo ship burial is a great next stop — it’s the single richest archaeological find from exactly the world Cornwell is writing about.
The Grail Quest
Set during the Hundred Years’ War, this trilogy follows Thomas of Hookton, an English archer hunting for both the Holy Grail and the truth about his father’s murder, against the backdrop of Edward III’s campaigns in France — including a vivid, blood-and-mud account of the Battle of Crécy. It’s tighter and more focused than either Sharpe or the Saxon Stories: three books telling one relatively contained story, with a later, loosely connected fourth novel that continues into the aftermath of the Battle of Poitiers.
Where to start: Harlequin (published in some editions as The Archer’s Tale), book one of the trilogy.
The Warlord Chronicles
Cornwell’s take on the King Arthur legend, and arguably his most purely literary work: a grounded, mud-and-iron version of fifth- and sixth-century Britain with the myth stripped away, narrated by the warrior Derfel looking back on his life in Arthur’s service. It’s a complete trilogy — The Winter King, Enemy of God, and Excalibur — and reads best straight through in that order. If you came to Cornwell through Sharpe or Uhtred and want to see him write something quieter and more melancholy, this is the series to try.
Where to start: The Winter King, book one.
The Starbuck Chronicles
A shorter, unfinished series set during the American Civil War, following Nathaniel Starbuck, a New England preacher’s son who ends up fighting for the Confederacy. Cornwell wrote four books — Rebel, Copperhead, Battle Flag, and The Bloody Ground — before moving on to other projects, so it’s worth knowing going in that the series doesn’t reach a final conclusion. Still a strong pick for readers specifically interested in Civil War fiction.
Where to start: Rebel, book one.
Standalones Worth Knowing About
Beyond the series, Cornwell has written a number of standalone historical novels that don’t require any prior reading: Stonehenge (a sweeping prehistoric epic about the building of the monument), Agincourt (a single-volume account of Henry V’s 1415 campaign), and Fools and Mortals (a lighter, theater-world novel narrated by Shakespeare’s younger brother). Any of these work as a low-commitment way to sample Cornwell’s writing before committing to a full series.
A Note on the TV and Screen Adaptations
Two of Cornwell’s series have well-known screen adaptations, and both are worth knowing about before you start reading. The Sharpe novels were adapted into a long-running series of television films in the 1990s and 2000s starring Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe — a faithful, well-loved adaptation that introduced many readers to the books in the first place. The Last Kingdom was adapted by Netflix into a multi-season series that follows Uhtred’s story closely enough that fans of the show can move into the novels without much friction, though the books go into far more depth and cover more ground than any television budget could manage. Neither adaptation is required viewing, but both are a fun way to visualize the world once you’ve started reading, or to fill the gap while you wait for your next library hold to come in.
A Simple Way to Choose
If you want nonstop action and a soldier’s-eye view of the Napoleonic Wars: Sharpe.
If you want the single best entry point into Cornwell’s catalogue and don’t mind a long, immersive commitment: The Last Kingdom.
If you want a tighter, three-book story with a strong personal quest at its center: The Grail Quest.
If you want Cornwell at his most literary and reflective: The Warlord Chronicles.
If you’re not ready to commit to a series at all: start with a standalone like Agincourt or Stonehenge.
For a ranked take on how these series stack up against each other once you’ve sampled more than one, our Bernard Cornwell books ranked guide is a useful next read.
FAQ
Do I need to read the Sharpe novels in publication order or chronological order?
Either works, and Cornwell fans genuinely disagree about which is better. Publication order (starting with Sharpe’s Eagle) is how most longtime readers discovered the series and is generally considered the friendlier introduction. Chronological order (starting with Sharpe’s Tiger) gives you Sharpe’s full life story from the beginning without any flashbacks or gaps.
Is The Last Kingdom the same as the Saxon Stories?
Yes — the book series is officially titled The Saxon Stories, but it’s now most commonly sold and marketed under the title The Last Kingdom, matching the Netflix adaptation. You’ll see both names used interchangeably by booksellers and readers.
For another popular reading-order guide in the same vein, see our Ken Follett reading order guide covering the Kingsbridge series.
Which Cornwell series is best for someone who’s never read historical fiction before?
The Last Kingdom is usually the safest recommendation — it has a strong, relatable narrator, plenty of momentum, and a TV adaptation that makes the world easy to picture. Readers who want something shorter and less of a commitment often do better starting with a standalone like Agincourt.
Does Cornwell have any new books coming out?
Cornwell has continued adding to his catalogue well into his eighties, including new Sharpe material in recent years. Check an author page or your preferred retailer for the most current release, since new entries continue to appear.
Do the series connect to each other at all?
Not directly — each series has its own characters, timeline, and setting. The connective tissue is really Cornwell’s voice and his obsessive, well-researched approach to depicting how pre-modern battles actually worked, which carries across everything he writes.
Conclusion
Cornwell’s body of work is large enough to get lost in, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Pick the era that interests you most — Napoleonic Europe, Dark Age England, the Hundred Years’ War, Arthurian Britain, or the American Civil War — start with the book listed above, and you’ll have the right doorway into a series built to keep you reading for a very long time.
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