Content last modified October 2014
Introduction
The Poldark Series, by prolific British novelist Winston Graham, is the "story of fates hanging in the balance." The time period of the saga, 1783 to 1820, finds England attempting to recover from an unsuccessful war with the United States, entering its Industrial Revolution, and waging war with France. The outcome of these events decides the fate of England's politics, church, and social structure.
The fate of Captain Ross Poldark, a genteel and respected man and soldier, is also affected by these events. His principal rival, however, is not the United States, the malcontents of English society, or France but his neighbor, George Warleggan, against whom he struggles for power, money, and love. The story of their feud has been translated into several languages and dramatized on "Masterpiece Theatre," a PBS program.
Following is a list of the novels of the Poldark series in chronological order of their contents. Titles are available in braille and/or audiobook formats. Recorded titles are available on cassette, digital cartridge, and/or on the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD), which allows registered patrons to download digital talking books and audio magazines. Some braille titles are also available on BARD.
Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787
Also published as The Renegade in 1951. Toward the close of the eighteenth century, Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall from the American Revolution to find that the girl he intends to marry is engaged to his cousin. After the death of his father, Poldark discovers the family estate is in ruins. 1945
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BR3521
Demelza: A Novel of Cornwall, 1788-1790
Ross Poldark decides to marry Demelza, the daughter of a Cornish miner. The young wife finds she has much to learn about the ways of society and men. 1946
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BR3518
Jeremy Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall, 1790-1791
Also published as Venture Once More in 1954. Ross Poldark encounters the blackest moment of his life. Charged with plundering two wrecked ships on the beach below his house, he must prove his innocence. 1950.
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BR3519
Warleggan: A Novel of Cornwall, 1792-1793
Also published as The Last Gamble in 1955. The marriage between Ross and Demelza enters a stormy period. Ross plunges into a speculative copper-mining venture, and has a dubious relationship with his cousin's wife, while Demelza becomes involved with a Scottish officer. 1953
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BR3520
The Black Moon: A Novel of Cornwall, 1794-1795
The saga of Ross and Demelza, of George Warleggan and his wife, and of the anger between the two households continues. The revolution in the English social structure affects the members of the two families, who struggle to live by their personal principles. 1973
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BR3522
The Four Swans: A Novel of Cornwall, 1795-1797
At last, Ross finds prosperity and happiness. But each of the women whose lives he touches will face a crisis that could ruin her marriage and her life. 1976
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BR3522
The Angry Tide: A Novel of Cornwall, 1789-1799
In 1798, Cornishman Ross Poldark is a successful lord of his manor, newly made member of Parliament, owner of two mines, husband of Demelza, and father of their two children. Warleggan, lifelong rival of the Poldark clan, sets in motion political and financial intrigues. 1977
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The Stranger from the Sea: A Novel of Cornwall, 1810-1811
War with France and the mental instability of King George III require Ross Poldark's presence in London. During his absence from Cornwall, the lives of his children, Jeremy and Clowance, are profoundly changed by the arrival of a handsome castaway. 1981.
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BR5108
The Miller's Dance: A Novel of Cornwall, 1812-1813
As Britain battles Napoleon and the fledgling United States, the Industrial Revolution propels the Poldarks and their beloved Cornwall into a new age. Jeremy and Clowance deal with the frustrations of unrequited love while their parents, Ross and Demelza, adjust to startling developments in their lives. 1982.
BR5474
The Loving Cup: A Novel of Cornwall, 1813-1815
The Poldarks of Cornwall are flourishing in post-Napoleonic euphoria and feeling the first stirrings of the Industrial Revolution.
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BR6830
The Twisted Sword: A Poldark Novel
1815. Ross and Demelza are in Paris when the gaiety is destroyed with Napoleon's return from Elba. Jeremy, in Brussels with his pregnant wife Cuby, is called to duty, and Clowance, back in Cornwall, learns some shocking information about her husband Stephen. 1991.
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Bella Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall, 1818-1820
The family feud continues between the neighboring Poldarks and Warleggans while a murderer is loose in the countryside. Bella Poldark, an aspiring singer, becomes successful in both her career and in love. Restless Valentine Warleggan, however, is not so lucky. 2002.
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Compiled by Ellie Friedman
Revised by Joyce Y. Carter