Notes Concerning the Author
Bernard Cornwell, born London 1944, is widely considered to be the best writer of historical fiction active today. He is best known for his series featuring the Napoleonic War hero Richard Sharpe. Other popular and best-selling series are set in the time of King Arthur, the Dark Ages, and the Middle Ages.
Our Review
In The Starbuck Chronicles Cornwell turned his attention to the Southern Confederacy. There are four volumes so far: Rebel, Copperhead, Battle Flag, and The Bloody Ground. The hero is Nathaniel Starbuck, scapegrace son of a Boston abolitionist preacher (who is portrayed with appropriate nastiness) who finds himself among friends in the South when the war begins and becomes a fighting Confederate officer. The novels are somewhat heightened for adventure, but generally portray the people, the times, and the Southern army convincingly. Nowhere have the early big battles of the war been told more tellingly — Cornwell is well-known to excel at battle accounts. The series so far goes only through the battle of Sharpsburg. In interviews Cornwell, who now lives part of the year in Charleston, South Carolina, has said that he intends to continue the series.
Availability of These Volumes
All four books are available in new and used paperbacks and on Kindle.
CNW