Flashman When this novel was first published, many critics mistakenly accepted it as a genuine historical memoir. More
Bernard Cornwell Born in London in 1944, Bernard Cornwell grew up in Essex and, after a stint as a teacher, moved on to the BBC, where he took a job as a producer in Northern Ireland. More
Bernard Cornwell The most magical phrase I knew as a child was “Once upon a time” because those four words meant a story was coming. More Bernard Cornwell
Jack Higgins Why I write: Some years ago, although enjoying great success, I was accused by certain literary critics of repeating myself too much in my work. More Jack Higgins
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors A multimillion-copy benchmark of adventure/survival nonfiction. More
Two Years Before the Mast An early landmark of adventure and travel writing, now considered one of America’s first literary classics. More
Master and Commander First book in O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series, widely regarded as the greatest series of historical novels ever written. More
Deborah Challinor I read to escape, whether the genre is crime, historical, dystopian, thriller, or biography. More Deborah Challinor
Gorky Park First book in the Arkady Renko series, which became an instant bestseller and changed the crime fiction genre. More
Anthony Doerr We are all mapmakers: We embed our memories everywhere, inscribing a private and intensely complicated latticework across the landscape. More Anthony Doerr
The Hunt for Red October Clancy’s debut novel launched a spectacular career and introduced the world to a new hero, Jack Ryan. More
Love and War in the Apennines The early life story of a man who would become one of Britain’s best-loved literary adventurers. More