Ernest Victor Thompson MBE (14 July 1931 – 19 July 2012) was an English author of historical novels.
Thompson served in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
for nine years and then joined the
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
Police. He later became the chief security officer for the Department of Aviation in
Rhodesia
Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
. In 1970 he moved to
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
to concentrate on being an author. Thompson specialised in historical novels mainly based in Cornwall and wrote over 40 books. His novel ''Chase the Wind'' was voted as the best historical novel of the year.
Thompson was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
in the
2012 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2012 were announced on 31 December 2011 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand,New Year Honours List /ref>
Thompson was a resident of Sharptor, Cornwall and lived in Idle Cottage, one of the stone miners' cottages in lower Sharptor. He said ''The storylines come from researching. In my very first book I was sitting on the doorstep of an old miner's cottage, wondering about the people who lived there before'' - most probably Idle Cottage..
Thompson died on 19 July 2012 at his home at Launceston, Cornwall aged 81.EV Thompson dies at Launceston home /ref>
Books
*1977 ''Chase the Wind''
*1978 ''Harvest of the Sun''
*1979 ''Music Makers''
*1980 ''Ben Retallick''
*1981 ''The Dream Traders''
*1982 ''Singing Spears''
*1983 ''The Restless Sea''
*1984 ''100 Years on Bodmin Moor''
*1984 ''Cry Once Alone''
*1985 ''Republic''
*1985 ''Polrudden''
*1986 ''The Stricken Land''
*1988 ''Becky''
*1989 ''God's Highlander''
*1990 ''Lottie Trago''
*1991 ''Cassie''
*1992 ''Whychwood''
*1992 ''Blue Dress Girl''
*1993 ''Mistress of Polrudden''
*1994 ''Tolpuddle Woman''
*1995 ''Ruddlemoor''
*1996 ''Lewin's Mead''
*1996 ''Moontide''
*1997 ''Cast No Shadows''
*1997 ''Mud Huts and Missionaries''
*1998 ''Fires of Evening''
*1999 ''Here, There and Yesterday''
*1999 ''Homeland''
*1999 ''Somewhere a Bird is Singing''
*2000 ''Winds of Fortune''
*2001 ''Seek a New Dawn''
*2002 ''The Lost Years''
*2003 ''Paths of Destiny''
*2004 ''Tomorrow Is For Ever''
*2005 ''The Vagrant King''
*2006 ''Brothers in War''
*2007 ''Though the Heavens May Fall''
*2008 ''No Less Than the Journey''
*2009 ''Churchyard and Hawke''
*2010 ''Beyond the Storm''
*2012 ''Hawke's Tor''
*2012 ''The Bonds of Earth''