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Coat of Arms
The magnificent saga of an aristocratic dynasty, caught between modern day scandal and an ancient feud.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
395 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Cornwell
538 books19.3k followersCornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother, who was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his birth mother's maiden name, Cornwell.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 22, 2015
With this being listed with the Crowning Mercy series I expected it to be about the decedents of the Lazen family. Turns out this has nothing to do with that fictional family, thus it's in no way related to anything in books 1 and 2 of the Crowning Mercy series, so can't figure out why it's included in the same bracket.
This tale centres around aristocratic rivalries, particularly regarding an estate named Howarth. In this respect the story works well enough, but it lacks sparkle.
There're several clever twists, some good characters, but no individual character stands out. There's no Campion at the heart of the story like in books 1 and 2 of the Crowning Mercy series. The closest thing to her is Hilary, whom I thought was going to emerge as the main star - after first thinking her Aunt Pearl was going to do - but she, like most of the cast, drift in and out of the narrative. These two were my favourite characters, though if Pearl was real I doubt I'd like her other than for her good looks.
I liked the parts better than the whole with this one. At times I was bored, at times I was engaged, and in some occasions I was most impressed. The last ten pages or so were well written, giving this otherwise lacklustre tale a dramatic ending, but at the same time I felt the story for several characters was left unfinished. It did end in such a way to leave it open for a sequel, though I'd be in no rush to read it if one had been written.
This tale centres around aristocratic rivalries, particularly regarding an estate named Howarth. In this respect the story works well enough, but it lacks sparkle.
There're several clever twists, some good characters, but no individual character stands out. There's no Campion at the heart of the story like in books 1 and 2 of the Crowning Mercy series. The closest thing to her is Hilary, whom I thought was going to emerge as the main star - after first thinking her Aunt Pearl was going to do - but she, like most of the cast, drift in and out of the narrative. These two were my favourite characters, though if Pearl was real I doubt I'd like her other than for her good looks.
I liked the parts better than the whole with this one. At times I was bored, at times I was engaged, and in some occasions I was most impressed. The last ten pages or so were well written, giving this otherwise lacklustre tale a dramatic ending, but at the same time I felt the story for several characters was left unfinished. It did end in such a way to leave it open for a sequel, though I'd be in no rush to read it if one had been written.
November 1, 2010
I really enjoyed this trilogy by Bernard Cornwell and his wife, Susannah Kells and this last book was a great read. I finished the book in two days and could not put it down. It had everything, romance, betrayal, spice and historical detail. I loved how the author/s referenced the family lines of British aristoracy.
Joanne
http://www.historicalromancereview.com
Joanne
http://www.historicalromancereview.com
February 8, 2011
i did enjoy it but not as much as the other two and was disapointed that it had nothing to do with the family and estate that featured in the first two
October 22, 2018
What a bunch of completely dislikeable people? Greedy, manipulative, selfish and completely out for themselves - there's only a couple of 'bit' characters that seem to have any integrity and they're just not in the book long enough to lift it to any sort of level.
That said, I did read it, mainly because I wanted to see if the author could find a way that they all lost out. I think I would have been quite happy to see Howarth burnt to embers, as they would have all been taught something. As it was, the ending happened to be the best bit of the book, as the action ramps up a little and there are a number of mild twists to keep the reader interested.
An ok read, just disappointed as I always expect much more from this author.
That said, I did read it, mainly because I wanted to see if the author could find a way that they all lost out. I think I would have been quite happy to see Howarth burnt to embers, as they would have all been taught something. As it was, the ending happened to be the best bit of the book, as the action ramps up a little and there are a number of mild twists to keep the reader interested.
An ok read, just disappointed as I always expect much more from this author.
September 7, 2024
Loved this book but didn't carry on from the Lazender's like I thought it was supposed. The end was fantastic and had me sitting on the edge of my seat till the end!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews