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Good Morning. I hope you're well.

 

I once hand-wrote the dates of each month I had been alive. Aside from an exercise in wasting time and finger energy, it was an incredible way to be reminded that each month I've lived had 30ish whole days and each day many whole hours of consciousness. The summarizations I've made about my life (I am a good person, I am a failure) are ways I take shortcuts in my thinking.

 

In the same way, in writing to you, I am tempted to make shortcuts and sammary statements about the effect your writing has had on me.

 

I've listened to your Sharpe series, Saxon series, Arthur series, and I'm in the middle of Stonehenge now.  While I've loved your books, there is much that is uncomfortable and dissappointing in the depiction of humanity. More dissappointing because I believe you are correct about people and our brutality and capacity for horror. I don't think we've changed much though we've created a culture that looks much different.

 

I'm grateful to have to rethink my image of the world, and I'm grateful you are willing to research to discover the reality of people's cultures across millennia.

 

Tim

Thank you for a brilliant read. Thoroughly enjoyed mixture of historical fact and fiction. Although I dont like books being made into films, I never feel the chosen lead meets with my interpretation of the character. Thomas of Hookton would be a fantastic vehicle for a young British Actor with a cross between Dorset and Wiltshire accent if you should ever agree.

Most importantly sincere thanks for a great read.

Colin Fowler

Really love your work, the Last kingdom is my favourite but have been disappointed for years that you stopped writing Starbuck, so much potential to make a great run of stories. Looking forward to the next Last Kingdom both book and TV show but it’s a pity the story lines were changed for the show although I expect that the normal way of things, Keep up the great work.

Dave

Hello  Mr Cornwell,

I was given this book by my son for my birthday .Wonderful read !! l loved the way you brought the writing of Shakespeare’s plays into the narrative, also the setting and the historical background .I became very involved with young Richard .Had to force myself to read every page  at times in case he came to real harm. Thanks for a great read.

Desma Wannenmacher

Dear Mr Cornwell

I am just another fan who wants you to finish the Starbuck series. I do hope you will.

Regards,

John De Rose

Hi

 

I've just finished what must be at least my 8th reading of the Starbuck Chronicles, and for the 8th time I've been desperate to know what happens to the characters next - particularly with the fact that I know their cause to, eventually, be a lost one, and all the more interesting because of it.

 

I understand, of course, that you have other commitments, but just wished to add the hopes of a fan that more of Starbuck's life will be revealed. Sharpe was my introduction to your fictional worlds, and I've always enjoyed Uhtred's adventures, but Nathaniel Starbuck is perhaps the most intriguing of the three.

 

Best regards

Jon

Hello Mr Cornwell

 

This was my first book by you that I read. I read The Last Kingdom and was hooked into it. WOW, amazing and the list does greatly go on and on!!.

 

I am an avid reader so you are def an great recommendation!.

 

Cheers and sincerely

 

Peter

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

 

My name is Charles Curtis and I have been a dedicated reader of yours for almost two decades. I had the pleasure of meeting you when you began writing the Last Kingdom series and you've taken the time to answer my questions on this forum in the past.

 

I'm writing because I recently published my first novel, Blood of Eagles, and as an author who's had a huge influence on me I wanted to express my gratitude. Of all the authors I like to read you are probably the best at balancing world-building and story pacing, which is a lot harder than it sounds (It took me 3-4 drafts to find the proper balance). You also showed me it is okay to occasionally wander a bit from the established historical record (ex. the mine at Harfleur in Azincourt or moving up the Battle of Cynuit a year in Last Kingdom). That may not sound like a big deal but for someone with an MA in History who's been taught the opposite it's a huge obstacle, at least at first. I can also tell you that there were at least a couple times when I got stuck on a scene or was wondering how to move forward I asked myself "What would Cornwell do?" and I would try to remember scenes from your books.

 

I don't know how often you get messages like this but I wanted you to know that seeing what has worked for others makes a huge difference for those of us trying to navigate the waters for the first time, and so once again I thank you.

 

Respectfully,

 

Charles Curtis

I have been reading your engrossing novels for years - all of the sagas and the “one offs” as well. I think I have enjoyed Fools and Mortals the most, but perhaps only because it is recent. My son is an actor, writer and artistic director of a small local theatre dedicated to presenting works by emerging talent. I have seen a lot of awful theatre! The amazing thing about Shakespeare is the adaptability of his work. I met a woman who produced a play in an American inner city community center with underpriveleged teenagers most of whom could not read by having them choose the lines they felt comfortable with after having her read to them. Their production was the finest moment of their lives. My son’s company recently put on a production of the “Scottish Play” entirely in mime with music. What was amazing was that it worked without a single one of Shakespeare’s precious words. The players and director were French speakers who were intimate with the play but wanted to present it to any multicultural audience. The witches were black papers folded to tell fortunes. They flew around like crows and opened to reveal the predictions.  Every scene was done with expressions and movement (and lots of fake gore). The murdered children were eggs that were smashed. The epilogue was a pile of bloody paper with smashed eggs surmounted by a golden crown made from another piece of folded paper. The play’s the thing! I hope there will be more stories set in Elizabethan/Restoration theatre. Thank you.

Anne Ridsdale Mott

 

As a History teacher, I am always searching for historical base novels to get ideas for an interesting twist to history. I just listened to the audio version of Sword Song and enjoyed it. I am also a clergyman (a Rabbi) and I found it fascinating the inclusion of the ceremony to a suspecting wife. Your portrayal in the book was perfect for the circumstances. Just for your own edification, according to the Talmud and Jewish tradition, there are of course more details to this process.  The idea behind this ceremony is to bring a wife and husband back together when there are marital difficulties. The ceremony was only done when there were witnesses to the husband declaring his suspicion and then a subsequent witnessing of the wife going into seclusion with the suspected "lover". Also the only thing that was revealed was the women's hair not any other part of her body. Anyway, thanks again for your great books. I am now reading the Empty Throne.

Avrohom Kanarek