About the Author

Bernard Cornwell, who was born in Britain, is also the author of numerous international bestsellers, including the Sharpe series. He lives with his wife in Cape Cod.

Reviews

"Medieval times burst to life in Cornwell's canny retelling of the King Arthur myth." --People "The action is gripping and skillfully paced, cadenced by passages in which the characters reveal themselves in conversation and thought, convincingly evoking the spirit of the time." --Publishers Weekly on Excalibur (starred review) "The best Arthurian since Gillian Bradshaw, if not Mary Stewart herself." --The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction on Enemy of God "The strength of the tale lies in the way Cornwellflesh-and-blood tells it through the creation of fesh-and-blood players who make a historical period come magically alive." --The Washington Post on The Winter King

In a compelling finale, historical novelist Cornwell concludes his three-part retelling of the Arthurian legend (The Winter King, LJ 5/15/96; Enemy of God, LJ 7/97). Despite the rather misleading idealized jacket cover, Excalibur portrays not romantic Camelot but a nasty, brutal fifth-century Britain in which heads and other body parts literally pile up. Indeed, this novel is even more graphic than its predecessors in its depictions of gore and violence. Although Arthur temporarily halts the invading Saxons at the battle of Mynydd Baddon (during which Lancelot meets a coward's death and Guinevere is reconciled with her husband), his dream of a unified Celtic kingdom is doomed. Thwarting him is the vicious Mordred who makes a pact with Nimue to bring back the old Druid gods and destroy the new Christian deity. Cornwell's attention to historical detail, his penchant for lively storytelling, and his vivid characters make this a good choice for all collections.‘Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"

"Medieval times burst to life in Cornwell's canny retelling of the King Arthur myth." --People "The action is gripping and skillfully paced, cadenced by passages in which the characters reveal themselves in conversation and thought, convincingly evoking the spirit of the time." --Publishers Weekly on Excalibur (starred review) "The best Arthurian since Gillian Bradshaw, if not Mary Stewart herself." --The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction on Enemy of God "The strength of the tale lies in the way Cornwellflesh-and-blood tells it through the creation of fesh-and-blood players who make a historical period come magically alive." --The Washington Post on The Winter King