Bulletin Board

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

While reading Sharpe's Triumph (for the 4 or 5th time) at our son's swim class today, one of the instructors asked what I was reading. I showed her the cover; she said Bernard Cornwell, my friend's and I love his Last Kingdom series. Turns out, young Nicole and her friends, in a high school senior AP History class, are reading you, on their own, for fun and education. The same reason I will introduce our, now eleven year old, boy to your work in a few years.

Thank you for many enjoyable (and educational!) years of reading,

David Bowen

P.S. My sister was up visiting our cousin in Harwich this past week and commented on the traffic.  I remember going to our grandmother’s little cottage in Dennis years ago, off season, and it was difficult turning left onto Route 6 in early September, but December?

Mr. Cornwell,

I just wanted to write to tell you how much I absolutely love your last kingdom series! I first discovered your books when I picked up the first book from the library, and was hooked. From then on I bought each book of the series, and am currently waiting to purchase the latest in the series. I have never read anything that remotely compares and so thrilling! I love the history of barbarian Europe, and especially love reading anything about the pagan northmen, vikings and such. It is only a pity that I know what became of the pagans. You are an extraordinary author, and a great inspiration. I am so glad to have discovered your books, and look forward to reading the next, and hope to delve into some of your other works, as well.

Thank you so much for all your hard work. It is greatly appreciated.

Jessi

Hi again - have now finished the Grail Quest trilogy - another fabulous saga that kept me with my nose in the pages for hours unnoticed. I have also finished 1356 which kind of follows on and it was equally rewarding. I don't know how you get the inspiration for these types of novels but please don't stop or millions of fans will be bereft of your gift.

Thank you

Paul England

Sir Bernard Cornewll,

Just finished the finest book I have ever read.  Yes, it is your latest novel in the Saxon Tales Series books, The Flame Bearer.  There are a great deal of lessons which you attempt to pass on to your readers about life.  There is more in this novel than usual, but it is woven so well into such an action packed novel that it takes several readings to pull it out and digest your ideas.  I look forward to taking it off the shelf of my library again, and again.

It is such a fine story that I really do not want to see the story in a movie or on TV, since I love the version of the story I have in my heart.

I have read all of your books, and this one is the deepest on several levels and most meaningful to me.

Thank you.

H S Poole

Dear Sir,

I retired in June this year and have fulfilled a long time ambition of reading the Arthur trilogy without the distraction of work. What a treat it was - well worth the wait. I particularly enjoyed your character assassination of Lancelot whom I have always felt was portrayed as too squeaky clean (apart from the adultery). I have also built up the complete Sharpe series so will be getting on to them probably in spring 2017. Thank you for your wonderful story telling, your characters are entirely captivating and believable and the feel of the times and events enthralling.

Thanks again

Paul

why in Gods good name did you persist with the above character. In any army this creature would have been killed after Book 1, Jesus there were still officers that knew of his desertion and for him to have any power to have Harper flogged is laughable. To keep him on was a mistake. Any ex Military man would have stopped reading the novel as I did after his last appearance. Men like Hakeswell  do not last long in any Army especially in those days. Thank You

J R Tattis

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I started listening to Sharpe in audiobook form in 2012, and have listened to the whole series twice. Now listening to it again for the third time. It's just superb.

Thanks very much for taking me away from the humdrum of everyday life, to adventures with such wonderful characters. I now feel as if I know them! I have also developed a very keen interest in the period, and the Duke of Wellington. I work in the City of London, and this year at 11am on Remembrance Day, I  stood beside his statue outside the Royal Exchange, and thought about him, and all of the men involved in the Peninsular Campaign and Waterloo.

Thank you again.

Sincerely

Phil Regan

I just finished reading The Starbuck Chronicles. If you ever have an opportunity please visit the memorials and graveyards at Vicksburg Mississippi. I grew up there and still get chill bumps every time I visit.

Kenneth Jones

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I am an avid reader of all of your books and found the most recent of these "The Flame Bearer" to be as gripping as any of your works, there is  however an inaccuracy which I feel I must bring to your attention. I note on pages 4  it is stated, "The tide was rising, which meant that the current was running strongly northwards and the ships were battling their way south," On page 222 it is stated, "We left on the slack water of low tide, but the flood began as we headed towards the sea. For the moment the current was against us, but once past the headlands we would turn north and the tide would help us."

In the North Sea the flooding tide moves from north to south and the ebb tide south to north, this apparent reversal is a result of the very constricting affect of the Straights of Dover relative to the very open nature of the passage of water around the north of Scotland, thus the much greater part of the water moving from the Atlantic to the North Sea flows around this northern route causing this north to south flow on the flooding tide.

Yours most sincerely,

Harry Clark.

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I'm writing to thank you for all of the many past hours of pleasure and those future ones that I excitedly anticipate from your books.  A dear family friend gave me The Winter King on Christmas Eve when I was about 17, and I read and enjoyed it, which spurred me on to find, read, and enjoy the next two in the series.  I'd never read anything really like them.  Quite wonderful.  I reciprocated by buying him Stonehenge.  Through a very, very difficult end of 2004, I coped by reading the Grail Quest series.  On another Christmas Eve (I think I was 30) our friend gave me Sharpe's Triumph, and at 38 I've finally found the time to start the series, and so am halfway through Sharpe's Tiger.  It's spellbinding.

A couple of years ago, I couldn't find my copy of The Winter King, and last summer, it was returned to me by the same friend, after I'd forgotten I'd lent it to him.  Unfortunately, he was returning books he'd been lent and hadn't had the time to read because he'd been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer.  I'm sad to say that he died last year, six months after his diagnosis, and exactly one month before he turned 60. However, I'm glad that part of our long friendship was fastened by the wonderful Bernard Cornwell books he gave me.  In fact, in my second-last email to him, when we all knew that he didn't have more than a few days to live, I made reference to a few things I liked about your books because they were so memorable and special.  He really liked the Sharpe series, and was hoping that I would too.

So thanks, for us both, my friend Bill Petrie (1955-2015), of Winnipeg, Canada, and myself,

John Stevens