1356

A Novel

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Jack Hawkins

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Bernard Cornwell, the "master of martial fiction" (Booklist), brings Thomas of Hookton from the popular Grail Quest series into a new adventure in 1356, a thrilling stand-alone novel. On September 19, 1356, a heavily outnumbered English army faced off against the French in the historic Battle of Poitiers.

In 1356, Cornwell resurrects this dramatic and bloody struggle - one that would turn out to be the most decisive and improbable victory of the Hundred Years' War, a clash where the underdog English not only the captured the strategic site of Poitiers, but the French King John II as well.

In the vein of Cornwell's best-selling Agincourt, 1356 is an action-packed story of danger and conquest, rich with military strategy and remarkable characters - both villainous and heroic - transporting readers to the front lines of war while painting a vivid picture of courage, treachery, and combat.

©2012 Bernard Cornwell (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Really Fun Historical Fiction

If you like historical fiction, this is a must read. It tends towards the pulp novel at times but is still thoroughly enjoyable. The reader does a fine job of bringing the characters alive.

SHOULD HELP GLOBAL STUDIES IN H.S.! lol

Cornwell takes a favorite character (Thomas of Hookton) & blends this historical fiction into a fantastic novel that is also well read... From the naïve, nasal voice made for the king & princess of France to the strong voices of Hookton & the Irishmen the author gets better as the book progresses, Cornwell is one of the few authors that can take a huge battle of ten thousand plus troops be astounding & add so many side stories that you wait to be resolved.

I've listened to the final battle at least a few times & its always great, In terms of 'battle vision' he does it better then HHM, few can compete with him, HHM brings the undercurrent, behind the scenes of court politics along with large scale battles, but this book is more adventure/battle then the Tudors/battle if it can be an accurate distinction. I love his stand alone books even though the grail series & Sharpe series are great as well... although it does leave me WANTING MORE lol....

I'd recommend reading some of Cornwell's other books regarding Hookton to get a better feeling for the story although you absolutely don't need to read them to enjoy this book... When you compare this to the actual history of the battle it was a GREAT fictional historical roller coaster ride

The end of the 100 years war

I am a great fan of Bernard Cornwell. This is book 5 in The Grail Quest series. I have read them in order but each book can stand alone. This book covers the weeks before the September 19, 1356 Battle of Poitiers and the battle itself and the capture of King John II of France. Cornwell builds the character of each of the key people in the story. Our hero is Thomas of Hookton head of the Helleguin. He and his wife Genevieve have a run in with the evil Count of Labrouillade and a church cardinal. The story is full of pomp and passion, action, suspense and great battle scenes. Cornwell is the master of writing battle scenes that come alive to the reader. Can not wait for the next book in the series, I hope there is more but with the ending of the war maybe not. Jack Hawkins did an excellent job narrating the story.

1356: French Deja Vu All Over Again

Any additional comments?

1356 is a mix of the Grail Series that featured Thomas of Hookton and Agincourt. Both books ended with a battle where the outnumbered English army defeats a seemingly unbeatable French army outside a small town in France.

In the process, Thomas seeks the sword of Peter, rescures a captured woman; defeats a foe out to destroy him personally; and gets around to playing a key role in winning the battle.

Instead of seeking the Holy Grail, in this book, Thomas seeks the Sword of Peter. There was a belief back in the Middle Ages that a Holy Relic contained great power and the person who owned the relic would be able to use that relic's power for their own personal benefit. Therefore, the owner of the Sword of Peter (the one used to cut off the ear of the slave when Jesus was captured by the Romans) would be unbeatable in battle.

Each of Bernard Cornwell's series have a unique flavor. Their hero is a current or past military figure with his own strengths and weaknesses. That hero must learn to think of others beyond himself. That hero has a foe who personally dislikes him and decides to kill him. Cornwell does a great job is revealing the hero and making him likable without making him unbelievable.

I am a big fan of Cornwell and enjoyed this book. The format is more in keeping with the Grail Series that feaures Thomas and the book would seem to be #4 in the series.

If you like English history with a definite military flavor, you will enjoy this book. And the ending regarding the destiny of the sword was most unique and creative.

Terrific

Love the character Thomas. Hope for more of his adventures. Reader was also fantastic. highly recommend.

Another great gallop through history

Bernard Cornwell brings us another romp though history that otherwise we would be oblivious to. His ability to mix entertainment with history is unique to just a few select authors. That is why I have never read nor heard a bad book by Bernard.

Great story. The characters get grittier.

I loved the arc of the story. I found the historical references to make it all that much richer. the depth of the characters has increased and made it far more enjoyable to savor. if you like historical dramas this is an excellent choice. As for the narration - enjoyed him immensely his inflections were easy to understand and help to get you into the characters heads. One minor detail was it appeared to sound as though he might have had a cold during some of the reading. one thing that would have made this book even better was to have included a map in the audiobook graphic.

Wonderful Finish

A great finish to an already fantastic series. perhaps my favorite out of the series, and that's saying something!

Best of all the books in this series.

Story was amazing. Loved how Thomas his new identity. I hope there’s a return for Thomas, Sam and the rest of the Harlequin.

another great historical novel

once again Bernard Cornwell does a wonderful job of blending fact and fiction. if you like history or if you like good stories you will love Bernard Cornwell