Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A spy thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the Jeffrey Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the subtexts and motivations. Very well written, just enough description of locales, moves the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! Imagine that. Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be very prolific. Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's recommendation. He has several series, but I think I'll look into a few of his standalones.
Reason for the standalones is I decided to commit to 2 other series...we'll see if they stand up to scrutiny. One is David Hewson's Nic Costa series. Just started the first of these, SFSG. I have high hopes. The second series is Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series. Plus I have a small hillock of a TBR stack both in book and audio, so I'll work through them.
> Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A spy > thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the Jeffrey > Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the subtexts and > motivations. Very well written, just enough description of locales, moves > the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! Imagine that. > Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be very prolific. > Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's recommendation. He has > several series, but I think I'll look into a few of his standalones.
> Reason for the standalones is I decided to commit to 2 other > series...we'll see if they stand up to scrutiny. One is David Hewson's > Nic Costa series. Just started the first of these, SFSG. I have high > hopes. The second series is Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series. Plus I > have a small hillock of a TBR stack both in book and audio, so I'll work > through them.
> Argh its Corwell, not Cromwell.... rather an interesting slip, that...
> K > "K Barrett" <mormo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:JZCdncRraMnp9ynVnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@comcast.com... >> Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A spy >> thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the Jeffrey >> Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the subtexts >> and motivations. Very well written, just enough description of locales, >> moves the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! Imagine that. >> Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be very prolific. >> Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's recommendation. He has >> several series, but I think I'll look into a few of his standalones.
>> Reason for the standalones is I decided to commit to 2 other >> series...we'll see if they stand up to scrutiny. One is David Hewson's >> Nic Costa series. Just started the first of these, SFSG. I have high >> hopes. The second series is Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series. Plus I >> have a small hillock of a TBR stack both in book and audio, so I'll work >> through them.
>> K Barrett
I am a big Cornwell fan. Yes he is prolific but that doesn't seem to affect the quality of his writing and scholarship His research is spot on. His Sharpe series set around the Napoleonic Wars is great reading. And it doesn't hurt that the TV adaptations have Sean Bean (swoon!) as Sharpe. In my opinion nobody does battle scenes better than Bernard Cornwell.
K Barrett wrote: > Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A spy > thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the Jeffrey > Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the subtexts and > motivations. Very well written, just enough description of locales, moves > the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! Imagine that. Looking > at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be very prolific. Funny, I'd > never heard of him before a friend's recommendation. He has several series, > but I think I'll look into a few of his standalones.
Bernard's longest (and most successful series) is the 'Sharpe' series. 21 books (so far) about a soldier in Wellington's army during the Napoleonic Wars. Their popularity has been reinforced by the British tv series that were based on them. (Didn't hurt that Richard Sharpe was played by a totally hunky blond actor named Sean Bean.) His other series cover various historical periods -- Arthur, Saxon England, 100 Years War, American Civil War. His thrillers are only 5 standalones -- all with a sailing theme. You might like to look at his website: http://www.bernardcornwell.net/
>> K >> "K Barrett" <mormo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message >> news:JZCdncRraMnp9ynVnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@comcast.com... >>> Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A spy >>> thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the Jeffrey >>> Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the subtexts >>> and motivations. Very well written, just enough description of locales, >>> moves the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! Imagine >>> that. Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be very >>> prolific. Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's >>> recommendation. He has several series, but I think I'll look into a few >>> of his standalones.
>>> Reason for the standalones is I decided to commit to 2 other >>> series...we'll see if they stand up to scrutiny. One is David Hewson's >>> Nic Costa series. Just started the first of these, SFSG. I have high >>> hopes. The second series is Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series. Plus I >>> have a small hillock of a TBR stack both in book and audio, so I'll work >>> through them.
>>> K Barrett
> I am a big Cornwell fan. Yes he is prolific but that doesn't seem to > affect the quality of his writing and scholarship > His research is spot on. His Sharpe series set around the Napoleonic Wars > is great reading. And it doesn't hurt that the TV adaptations have Sean > Bean (swoon!) as Sharpe. In my opinion nobody does battle scenes better > than Bernard Cornwell.
> Judith
I agree on all points. Especially Sean Bean. (My choice to play Reacher.)
I am particularly fond of the series that Cornwell is now writing set in the time of Alfred.
>K Barrett wrote: >> Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A spy >> thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the Jeffrey >> Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the subtexts >> and motivations. Very well written, just enough description of locales, >> moves the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! Imagine that. >> Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be very prolific. >> Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's recommendation. He has >> several series, but I think I'll look into a few of his standalones.
> Bernard's longest (and most successful series) is the 'Sharpe' series. 21 > books (so far) about a soldier in Wellington's army during the Napoleonic > Wars. Their popularity has been reinforced by the British tv series that > were based on them. (Didn't hurt that Richard Sharpe was played by a > totally hunky blond actor named Sean Bean.) > His other series cover various historical periods -- Arthur, Saxon > England, 100 Years War, American Civil War. > His thrillers are only 5 standalones -- all with a sailing theme. > You might like to look at his website: > http://www.bernardcornwell.net/
> 'wyrm
Thanks for the link, many minutes of reading & research there!
>> K >> "K Barrett" <mormo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message >> news:JZCdncRraMnp9ynVnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@comcast.com... >>> Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A spy >>> thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the Jeffrey >>> Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the subtexts >>> and motivations. Very well written, just enough description of locales, >>> moves the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! Imagine >>> that. Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be very >>> prolific. Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's >>> recommendation. He has several series, but I think I'll look into a few >>> of his standalones.
>>> Reason for the standalones is I decided to commit to 2 other >>> series...we'll see if they stand up to scrutiny. One is David Hewson's >>> Nic Costa series. Just started the first of these, SFSG. I have high >>> hopes. The second series is Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series. Plus I >>> have a small hillock of a TBR stack both in book and audio, so I'll work >>> through them.
>>> K Barrett
> I am a big Cornwell fan. Yes he is prolific but that doesn't seem to > affect the quality of his writing and scholarship > His research is spot on. His Sharpe series set around the Napoleonic Wars > is great reading. And it doesn't hurt that the TV adaptations have Sean > Bean (swoon!) as Sharpe. In my opinion nobody does battle scenes better > than Bernard Cornwell.
>>> K >>> "K Barrett" <mormo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message >>> news:JZCdncRraMnp9ynVnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@comcast.com... >>>> Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A >>>> spy thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the >>>> Jeffrey Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the >>>> subtexts and motivations. Very well written, just enough description of >>>> locales, moves the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! >>>> Imagine that. Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be >>>> very prolific. Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's >>>> recommendation. He has several series, but I think I'll look into a >>>> few of his standalones.
>>>> Reason for the standalones is I decided to commit to 2 other >>>> series...we'll see if they stand up to scrutiny. One is David Hewson's >>>> Nic Costa series. Just started the first of these, SFSG. I have high >>>> hopes. The second series is Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series. Plus >>>> I have a small hillock of a TBR stack both in book and audio, so I'll >>>> work through them.
>>>> K Barrett
>> I am a big Cornwell fan. Yes he is prolific but that doesn't seem to >> affect the quality of his writing and scholarship >> His research is spot on. His Sharpe series set around the Napoleonic Wars >> is great reading. And it doesn't hurt that the TV adaptations have Sean >> Bean (swoon!) as Sharpe. In my opinion nobody does battle scenes better >> than Bernard Cornwell.
>> Judith
> I agree on all points. Especially Sean Bean. (My choice to play Reacher.)
> I am particularly fond of the series that Cornwell is now writing set in > the time of Alfred.
You made me google Alfred. I love google. I also love prolifiv good authors. I'm glad I stumbled onto Cornwell.
>>> K >>> "K Barrett" <mormo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message >>> news:JZCdncRraMnp9ynVnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@comcast.com... >>>> Just finished 'Scoundrel' by Bernard Cromwell. What a good book! A >>>> spy thriller with lots of twists and turns, none of which were the >>>> Jeffrey Deaver kind. Rather like LeCarre, you have to understand the >>>> subtexts and motivations. Very well written, just enough description of >>>> locales, moves the story along becasue he has a good story to tell! >>>> Imagine that. Looking at Cromwell's list of other books he seems to be >>>> very prolific. Funny, I'd never heard of him before a friend's >>>> recommendation. He has several series, but I think I'll look into a >>>> few of his standalones.
>>>> Reason for the standalones is I decided to commit to 2 other >>>> series...we'll see if they stand up to scrutiny. One is David Hewson's >>>> Nic Costa series. Just started the first of these, SFSG. I have high >>>> hopes. The second series is Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series. Plus >>>> I have a small hillock of a TBR stack both in book and audio, so I'll >>>> work through them.
>>>> K Barrett
>> I am a big Cornwell fan. Yes he is prolific but that doesn't seem to >> affect the quality of his writing and scholarship >> His research is spot on. His Sharpe series set around the Napoleonic Wars >> is great reading. And it doesn't hurt that the TV adaptations have Sean >> Bean (swoon!) as Sharpe. In my opinion nobody does battle scenes better >> than Bernard Cornwell.
>> Judith
> The new one about Agincourt sounds good.
> K barrett
Yup, I agree. The website is good, isn't it. Very informative. I am just in the middle of re-reading the Arthur trilogy. I have nearly finished book two, am going to have to start looking for a copy of part 3 (Excalibur) soon. I read this trilogy about ten years ago and I am finding it just as enjoyable the second time around. Regards Judith in NZ
