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Quick answer: If you loved Bernard Cornwell, read Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom, Sharpe's Rifles and The Winter King, then Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, then C.S. Forester's Beat to Quarters, and George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman and Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth. All are sweeping historical adventure.
Bernard Cornwell writes historical novels, including the Sharpe series and The Last Kingdom. His books are packed with battles and detail. These picks share that scope.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Kingdom | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | readers who like action |
| Sharpe's Rifles | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | historical soldiers |
| The Winter King | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | Arthurian realism |
| Azincourt | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | Agincourt |
| Master and Commander | Patrick O'Brian | Adult | readers who like naval fiction |
| Beat to Quarters | C.S. Forester | Adult | the inspiration |
| Flashman | George MacDonald Fraser | Adult | comic military adventure |
| The Pillars of the Earth | Ken Follett | Adult | readers who like epics |
| Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel | Adult | readers who like court intrigue |
| The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas | Adult | readers who want swashbuckling |
| Shōgun | James Clavell | Adult | readers who like long sagas |
| I, Claudius | Robert Graves | Adult | readers who love scheming families |
| Ross Poldark | Winston Graham | Adult | Cornish saga |
| Outlander | Diana Gabaldon | Adult | historical romance |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | Alexandre Dumas | Adult | readers who want a big epic |
1. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Uhtred, a Saxon boy raised by Danes, fights in the wars to create England under King Alfred. Fast battle scenes.
Best for: readers who like action.
2. Sharpe's Rifles by Bernard Cornwell
Richard Sharpe fights in the Peninsular War. Fast and gritty.
Best for: historical soldiers.
3. The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell
Arthur's story told as a gritty historical epic. Fast and vivid.
Best for: Arthurian realism.
4. Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell
An archer fights at Agincourt. Vivid and bloody.
Best for: Agincourt.
5. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin sail in the Napoleonic wars. The first of a beloved series.
Best for: readers who like naval fiction.
6. Beat to Quarters by C.S. Forester
Captain Horatio Hornblower fights in the Napoleonic Wars. The model for Weber's heroine and a tight, classic adventure.
Best for: the inspiration.
7. Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser
A Victorian cad and coward blunders into famous battles. Funny, rude and well researched.
Best for: comic military adventure.
8. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
A master builder, a monk and a noble family struggle over a cathedral in 12th-century England. Long, gripping and emotional.
Best for: readers who like epics.
9. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell rises in Henry VIII's court in this award-winning novel. Sharp, intimate and full of political danger.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
10. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
D'Artagnan joins the king's musketeers in 17th-century France. Swordplay, loyalty and humor.
Best for: readers who want swashbuckling.
11. Shōgun by James Clavell
An English pilot arrives in feudal Japan and gets caught in a power struggle among warlords. Epic in scale and detail.
Best for: readers who like long sagas.
12. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
Claudius narrates the poisonings and plots of the early Roman emperors. A witty, dark classic.
Best for: readers who love scheming families.
13. Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
A soldier returns home to a ruined estate. The start of the long Poldark series.
Best for: Cornish saga.
14. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A nurse in 1945 falls through stones into 1743 Scotland. Romance, history and adventure.
Best for: historical romance.
15. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Edmond Dantès escapes prison and takes revenge in a long, thrilling saga. Perfect if you like big stories.
Best for: readers who want a big epic.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Bernard Cornwell: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Bernard Cornwell. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For Napoleonic adventure, read Master and Commander or Flashman. For epic history, try The Pillars of the Earth or Wolf Hall. For swashbuckling, pick The Three Musketeers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bernard Cornwell?
A British author of historical fiction.
What is his best-known series?
Sharpe, The Last Kingdom and The Warlord Chronicles.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, The Last Kingdom and Sharpe were adapted for TV.
Which book here is best for readers who want a big epic?
Try The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, which suits readers looking for readers who want a big epic.
Which book here is best for historical romance?
Try Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which suits readers looking for historical romance.
Which book here is best for Cornish saga?
Try Ross Poldark by Winston Graham, which suits readers looking for Cornish saga.
Which book here is best for readers who love scheming families?
Try I, Claudius by Robert Graves, which suits readers looking for readers who love scheming families.
Which book here is best for readers who like long sagas?
Try Shōgun by James Clavell, which suits readers looking for readers who like long sagas.