Your Questions

I recently came across an article claiming that scientists studying cat DNA have found cat remains at a Viking site dating to between the eighth and eleventh century A.D. in northern Germany. It makes sense that since Vikings were sea-faring people, they might have kept cats to control rodents. I could see cats hunting rats on Viking ships that were beached, but perhaps they accompanied their owners on their voyages, too.

 

I'm wondering, did Uhtred have any cats?

Joni Steshko

Mr Cornwell

 

Greetings from a Briton in New Zealand.

 

I would like to heap praise for your books upon you but it all seems a bit lacking to do so to such a great writer. I have been reading your books for many years and they are one of the few things that can totally emerge me; albeit for too shorter time as they are devoured so quickly.

 

I am particularly fond of your Arthur series (as a Welshman and lover of ancient tales) that I read twice back to back when I was younger. I've only ever done that with Tolken so you find yourself in good company.

 

No doubt your books will make it to the screen in good time. I don't think that the Last Kingdom did the books justice at all - poor casting, brushing over the story and a very shallow re-write. I'm not sure where that was supposed to go - a young American audience? I hope you find your way to a better director and screen writer who will do it justice. I always imagines Utred as a bulk of a man with a commanding presence rather than a young lithe guy; more like Rollo from Vikings.

 

This is actually quite important considering the total lack of knowledge on how The Lost Lands (excuse the Welshman) were lost and became England. We learn more from your stories than we ever did at school.

 

Anyway, I should come to the point. I don't usually write to strangers but I promised myself that I would after seeing a TV piece about stone mounds and circles in ancient Britain. The long and short is that they propose the tradition / technology began in Orkney and travelled south eventually arriving at Stonehenge 500 years later. Incredibly interesting.

 

I always thought your Stonehenge book was a bit lonely and could do with some company. It would delight your many fans to see a few prequels - I'm sure you can manage to link things up a bit so they end up in the right place.

 

No doubt that you have a very thorough list of ideas to follow up on but it would be a tragedy to your readers if you missed this particular opportunity. It almost seems like that lonely book has been waiting for the right thread to finish (or start?) the story.

 

Fingers crossed and (hopefully) good luck!!

 

Thank you again.

 

Cheers

Matt

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I wanted to express how much of an avid reader of your book series The Saxon Tales I am and how much I admire your storytelling abilities to focus the readers attention.  My favorite part in the series so far is the Battle of Beamfleot.  I had a question regarding your research into your family history concerning the time before 1066 and the Norman invasions.  I am asking because my family origin name of Boyle resides in Ayr, which is directly across (according to your book flap map) on the opposite shore. Do you happen to know what sources of information I might seek if I wanted to do some further research into my family in Ayr? Please continue to write your stories, I am looking forward after i am current with the Saxon Tales I am looking forward to reading your Grail Quest series.  Thank you for your stories.

 

Sincerely,

Benjamin Boles

A good friend we met on a Viking River Cruise back in 2009 put me on to your writing, initially the Last Kingdom series, and I have been hooked ever since.  After retiring six years ago, I have devoted myself to tracking down copies of that series plus other stand alone novels.  I have read 12 total including six of the Last Kingdom and have three or four others calling my name. (I also watched the TV series).   Every book has held my attention from start to finish except the Fort.  For me, this book was a change from the others because I read about half over a two month period and then gave up.  Please do not take this as anything more than a comment about the Fort only because I am presently engrossed in Stonehenge.  I had learned that Paul Revere was not the hero we learned about in school after reading Paul Revere's Ride by David Fischer.  Longfellow did no favors for students of US history with his poem.

 

Anyway, the stories of Viking travels to Great Britain are fascinating.  I am half Swedish and speak the language, half Danish, find many town names in the UK with Scandinavian roots, and have traveled to Scandinavia on several occasions. A history I read several years ago claimed that original Swedes were much shorter than what one sees in films, but dark haired with fair skin.  Uhtred meets that description in the TV series and old buildings visited from the 17th and 18th centuries seem to bear out people were short. Will there be any more episodes in the TV series?

 

I have rambled on enough.  FYI, I have enjoyed several fiction and non fiction books on the Knights Templar .  Do not interpret this as anything more than sharing a reading topic.  I also like Steve Berry, Tolkien, George Martin, Frank Herbert (I met him at the University of Washington in the early 70s, but that is a different story), and other authors of historical novels.  My friend encourages me to track down Sharpe novels but that will be a project after the Last Kingdom.  Please keep those stories coming.

 

Ron

Hiya. I know you're not working on the Uhtred books right now but should we expect book 11 this year? Thank you x

Zoe

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

 

I am writing to thank you for such a gripping series of books. I have just finished reading The Flame Bearer (I think book 10 in the series) and can honestly say that I have not enjoyed such enthralling stories for a long time. The character of Lord Uhtred is both humorous and impressive, and I have opened each book with excitement.

 

Although Uhtred has just recaptured his home of Bebbenberg, and so the series could  end here, I would love to know if you have any plans to continue his tale. It has inspired me to read non-fiction about this period in our history.

 

I am just about to begin reading the first of the Arthurian Warlord Chronicles, and am anticipating great stories!

 

With kind regards,

 

Elizabeth Ashley

Dear Sir,

I've enjoyed all of of the novels I've read of yours (Sharpe, Saxon series, Starbuck). I'm starting your Arthur/Warlord stories next.  But do you have plans for more Starbuck novels?  I'm most eager to read those.

Thanks for all of your work, I recommend you to many.

Melanie

Hello Mr. Cornwell,

First of all I would like to say that I am a wild fan of your work.

Do you intend to write a book about pirates? I would love to read a story about Blackbeard.

Arthur

 

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I first read "1356" and was hooked (pun intended) on Thomas of Hookton.  He is a compelling character and I am enthralled by the history of the period as a result of reading that book.  So I've gone about this backwards and had to go back to the beginning of the Grail Series to experience the origin of the character.  Now I'm two books into the Saxon books.  Uhtred is a marvelously conflicted character and I'm looking forward to the remainder of the series.  Of course I had to have a look at Agincourt in the interim and there was one thing that struck me immediately: By your naming the protagonist Nicholas HOOK I  wondered if an unstated relationship with Thomas was being hinted at; not important, really, just curious.  So I have a new hobby, namely, to read as many of your books as possible except that it seems you are writing them faster than I can read them!

Best wishes.

P.S. Are you performing Shakespeare this summer?

Dear Bernard,

Firstly I would like to thank you for inspiring my love of reading, I started with the sharpe books which I still love. Obviously Sean bean was greatly cast for the tv role and this is what initially sparked my interest. However sharpe was left behind when I read the stories of Thomas of Hookton and Starbuck, and of course now especially since I'm from the north east and a regular visitor Bambrugh as a child, Uhtred I think is your greatest creation to date. I just wondered how you felt about the casting of Uhtred, no doubt a talented actor but I can't replace the image I have had in my head for years. I look forward to hearing from you.

Keep up the great work

Steven Forth