Search
Search results
David McK (3188 KP) rated Sharpe's Gold (1995) in Movies
Sep 11, 2022
David McK (3188 KP) rated The Winter King - season 1 in TV
Feb 26, 2024 (Updated Feb 26, 2024)
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Bernard Cornwell adaptations.
I (generally) like his books.
I've yet to encounter a good adaptation, with the possible exception of the 90s Sharpe series (with Sean Bean), although those definitely needed a bigger budget!
This is loosely based on Cornwell's 'Warlord' trilogy - The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur - which Cornwell himself views as his best works.
They're a 'realistic' retelling of the Arthurian stories, basically.
I (generally) like his books.
I've yet to encounter a good adaptation, with the possible exception of the 90s Sharpe series (with Sean Bean), although those definitely needed a bigger budget!
This is loosely based on Cornwell's 'Warlord' trilogy - The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur - which Cornwell himself views as his best works.
They're a 'realistic' retelling of the Arthurian stories, basically.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Fools and Mortals in Books
Jan 24, 2021
I've never read anything by Bernard Cornwell, but I have heard good things about him.
This probably wasn't the best book of his to start with, I didn't read any reviews prior to starting this. Had I, I probably would have opted out.
The novel is centered around Shakespeare's younger brother, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Richard Shakespeare wasn't a really interesting character, and had an insta-love story, in the middle of the mystery of the stolen plays.
Overall, just meh. Maybe I'll attempt to read something else by Cornwell? Maybe not.
This probably wasn't the best book of his to start with, I didn't read any reviews prior to starting this. Had I, I probably would have opted out.
The novel is centered around Shakespeare's younger brother, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Richard Shakespeare wasn't a really interesting character, and had an insta-love story, in the middle of the mystery of the stolen plays.
Overall, just meh. Maybe I'll attempt to read something else by Cornwell? Maybe not.
David McK (3188 KP) rated The Flame Bearer (the Last Kingdom Series, Book 10) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The continuing story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who, since the first story in the series ([b:The Last Kingdom|68527|The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1)|Bernard Cornwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407107780s/68527.jpg|881821] has been dreaming of recapturing his ancestral home - a home that was originally stolen by his uncle afollowing Uhtred's capture by the Danes in that first novel, and is now owned by his cousin.
The series as a whole has dealt with the forging of what ias now knwon as England, with Alfred (the Great) palying a key role in the earlier novels, and with the later novels dealing with events following his death. Although he is a pagan and Alfred was a Christian, Uhtred has played a key role in many of the events depicted - mostly (as with nearly all of [a:Bernard Cornwell|12542|Bernard Cornwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1240500522p2/12542.jpg]'s novels) all based on or around real historical events.
I say mostly, as this is one of the few rare exceptions (being nearly all fiction), with the author himself admitting as much in the Afterword to this particular tale.
The series as a whole has dealt with the forging of what ias now knwon as England, with Alfred (the Great) palying a key role in the earlier novels, and with the later novels dealing with events following his death. Although he is a pagan and Alfred was a Christian, Uhtred has played a key role in many of the events depicted - mostly (as with nearly all of [a:Bernard Cornwell|12542|Bernard Cornwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1240500522p2/12542.jpg]'s novels) all based on or around real historical events.
I say mostly, as this is one of the few rare exceptions (being nearly all fiction), with the author himself admitting as much in the Afterword to this particular tale.
David McK (3188 KP) rated Under Enemy Colours: Charles Hayden Book 1 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Apparently the first in a new series, and (for once) the comparison on the back of the book - which reads something like "in the tradition of Patrick O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell" - is actually pretty accurate!
Having said that, I would've replaced O'Brian reference with CS Forester: some of the events contained in the book have more than a passing resemblance to some of those in the Hornblower novels! The Cornwell reference, though, is pretty much spot on: an outsider officer (naval, in this case) who must contend with both his own immediate superiors as well as the enemy ... sound familiar at all?
Still, I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel!
Having said that, I would've replaced O'Brian reference with CS Forester: some of the events contained in the book have more than a passing resemblance to some of those in the Hornblower novels! The Cornwell reference, though, is pretty much spot on: an outsider officer (naval, in this case) who must contend with both his own immediate superiors as well as the enemy ... sound familiar at all?
Still, I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel!
David McK (3188 KP) rated Outlaw (The Outlaw Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
"Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Riding throught the Glenn
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, and his bunch of blood-thirsty murderous outlaws ..."
Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?
"Outlaw" is the story of Robin Hood, told from the perspective of Alan Dale. Like Bernard Cornwell's series of books about King Arthur (indeed, my copy of the book even had a "As good as Bernard Cornwell or your money back" sticker on it), Outlaw is a more earthy, more 'real', telling of the famous tale. All the famous characters are here: Robin Hood, Maid Marie-Anne (Marion), Little John, Friar Tuck, Guy of Gisbourne, and (obviously) Alan Dale himself.
Forget the recent BBC adaptation, or even the '91 film starring a not-very-English Kevin Costner; this is more what Robin Hood would have been like (if he ever existed) than the over-romanticised legendary figure.
Worth a read? If you like Cornwell (or Simon Scarrow's) style of historical fiction, then my answer is a definite yes.
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, and his bunch of blood-thirsty murderous outlaws ..."
Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?
"Outlaw" is the story of Robin Hood, told from the perspective of Alan Dale. Like Bernard Cornwell's series of books about King Arthur (indeed, my copy of the book even had a "As good as Bernard Cornwell or your money back" sticker on it), Outlaw is a more earthy, more 'real', telling of the famous tale. All the famous characters are here: Robin Hood, Maid Marie-Anne (Marion), Little John, Friar Tuck, Guy of Gisbourne, and (obviously) Alan Dale himself.
Forget the recent BBC adaptation, or even the '91 film starring a not-very-English Kevin Costner; this is more what Robin Hood would have been like (if he ever existed) than the over-romanticised legendary figure.
Worth a read? If you like Cornwell (or Simon Scarrow's) style of historical fiction, then my answer is a definite yes.
David McK (3188 KP) rated Warriors of the Storm in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Ninth(1) book in [a: Bernard Cornwell|12542|Bernard Cornwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1240500522p2/12542.jpg]'s Warrior Chronicles (or Saxon Stories, if you live in the U.S) series about the founding of England.
I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that we're now (well) past the death of Alfred (the only English monarch to ever be given the epitaph 'the Great'), with Uhtred now in late middle-age (for us), and still eager to reclaim his ownership of Bebbanburg.
The novel, however, concerns itself more with raids made by Ragnall Iverson, with his motives initially unclear: does he come to rape and pillage? To attack Chester? To take control of the Danish kingdom of Northumbria?
Ragnall, however, is related to Uhtred through marriage, so his loyalties remain in doubt to the rulers of the land, with Uhtred eventually disobeying orders and sailing to Ireland (and back), for reasons that become clear in the plot.
Another strong entry in the series; perhaps not the strongest, but still pretty good.
I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that we're now (well) past the death of Alfred (the only English monarch to ever be given the epitaph 'the Great'), with Uhtred now in late middle-age (for us), and still eager to reclaim his ownership of Bebbanburg.
The novel, however, concerns itself more with raids made by Ragnall Iverson, with his motives initially unclear: does he come to rape and pillage? To attack Chester? To take control of the Danish kingdom of Northumbria?
Ragnall, however, is related to Uhtred through marriage, so his loyalties remain in doubt to the rulers of the land, with Uhtred eventually disobeying orders and sailing to Ireland (and back), for reasons that become clear in the plot.
Another strong entry in the series; perhaps not the strongest, but still pretty good.
David McK (3188 KP) rated Sharpe's Battle (1995) in Movies
Sep 18, 2022 (Updated Sep 18, 2022)
Mid-90s TV Sean Bean starring TV movie, loosely based on the Bernard Cornwell novel of the same name.
I say loosely based, but as not as loosely as the previous (Sharpe's Gold): here, the rough outline is pretty much the same as in the novel - sure, there are liberties taken and subplots left out and/or changed, but this *is* recognizably the same story, complete with Brigadier Guy Loup, the spanish Real Compania Irelande (sp?) et al
I say loosely based, but as not as loosely as the previous (Sharpe's Gold): here, the rough outline is pretty much the same as in the novel - sure, there are liberties taken and subplots left out and/or changed, but this *is* recognizably the same story, complete with Brigadier Guy Loup, the spanish Real Compania Irelande (sp?) et al
Mothergamer (1511 KP) rated The Last Kingdom in TV
Mar 30, 2022
I love the books that the show is based on. If you have not read The Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell, you should because they are excellent. The show does a great job bringing the books to life. There are some changes here and there, but they are small and work for the show. Alexander Draymon does an amazing job as Uhtred and the entire cast is fantastic. The series keeps the story flowing really well and is a great watch.
David McK (3188 KP) rated A Clash of Lions (100 Years War, book 2) in Books
Mar 31, 2024
The second of AJ MacKenzie three 100 Years War novels following the exploits of the Herald Simon Merrivale, which - this time - moves the setting from France across to the Scottish border.
I'm also finding this a little bit hard to rate: whilst the *story* was interesting, as was the history, I found the prose itself to be a little bit too dry; never really grabbing me and sucking me in the way a, say, Bernard Cornwell might.
I'll still read the next in the series, though.
I'm also finding this a little bit hard to rate: whilst the *story* was interesting, as was the history, I found the prose itself to be a little bit too dry; never really grabbing me and sucking me in the way a, say, Bernard Cornwell might.
I'll still read the next in the series, though.