Bulletin Board

Warriors of the Storm.....

I just finished your latest.  I ordered from the U.K. so I didn't have to wait.

I think it may be your best yet in Uhtred's story.

Bill Brockman

Mr. Cornwell,

I just wanted to say that I just finished your Grail Quest books (out of order!) minutes ago and I felt the need to thank you. Through these books, I have learned so much about the period and experience a level of enjoyment I have not achieved through reading since I read The Hobbit in my youth. I am sure you get a million of messages like this every day, but I hope that reading this brings you a small fraction of the happiness your work has brought to me one the last few weeks. I can't wait to dive into another one of your books.

Sincerely,

Samuel Sadler

Well, what an exciting time for me.  I have been watching THE LAST KINGDOM and saw, for the first time, the credits, and there is your name as author of the book.  It struck a cord with me and I looked through my library to find "those first 5 books you will no longer write".  I so loved those books.  I guess I put you aside and have rediscovered you with this BBC series.  Now I have ordered all the books, for my Kindle, and  looking forward to becoming reacquainted.  Thank you for that.  I am sure I will enjoy them.  Not too sure about the American history ones.  I still have one, THE BONE RATTLER/Eliot Pattison, in my collection, which I have routinely by passed.  So, we shall see.   Pattison's Tibetan series is outstanding.  You have written a huge collection of books and I am enthralled to know of you.....again!

Linda Egland

The Last Kingdom TV series....So sorry you couldn't influence the producers to follow the books more closely.

1. Uhtred character doesn't look like the Uhtred I know.
2. They went to Severn River area by boat not horse but I guess horses were less expensive for TV production 3. Now in tonight's episode Leofric is supposed to fight Uhtred to the death not Steapa! Unless that suggestion by Leofric in last episode was only a teaser.

However, I think the Danes are going to break the truce and appear on scene to get the TV producers out of that mess.

Aged 92 woman who loves your books and recently introduced a young man (80) to The Saxon Tales.  Now he's addicted, too.

Evelyn Cornell

 

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I think we once met at Philadelphia Airport. I was sitting on the ground reading one of your books and you passed by asking if the book is good one and I acknowledged it. Later ( years later ) when i first saw ( actively looked at ) a picture of yours on a book, I recognized who once asked me. And yes, I still read your books. Now waiting how Thomas of Hookton will faire being home after the battle. Or waiting for Uthred finally ( hopefully some books later ) will gain his hetitage.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jörg Bruckamp

Since it's obvious you have several dozen books that you must write, and you live in Mass. Have you ever contacted MIT about the possibility of having yourself cloned?

Carl Dominello

Very much enjoyed your book. Very readable and gave me a good understanding of how things played out but appalled by the carnage, only to be repeated on an even greater scale 100 years later. Very fair in reporting.

However I do not  know if anyone has brought the source of this sentence [La Garde ....rend pas] to your attention but the quote [p 306 in the soft cover] was clearly contemporaneous. It was contained in a letter written by Capt. Digby Mackworth, 7th Foot, Aide de Camp to General Hill at about 11:00 PM that evening. It was published in The Times on June 18th 1915 as part of the 100 year recognition of the battle. The TImes describes the source of the letter. Clearly not written at a later date by a french journalist.

Gareth Glover in his book The Waterloo Archive Volume IV does comment that as [he?] has not been able to see the original letter, it cannot be established beyond doubt that the sentence was not added at a later date but that would be unlikely in a personal letter.

I am not sure that Mackworth actually made the observation because of the context in which it appears in his letter [like a statement] and the fact that it was written in French and he, by his own admission, was a poor french scholar. It would not surprise me if it was actually uttered by a member of the Imperial Guard, likely of significant rank as it has been recorded [but not necessarily General Cambronne] during the battle when the Imperial Guard were being harassed by the British and Hanoverian infantry but before the rout. It would certainly appear to originate during the fighting rather than an observation after the battle. After the rout, it would not be applicable.

Capt Digby Mackworth subsequently married Mle de Richepance, the daughter of one of Napoleon's generals and whose clock sits on my mantle piece. He is also my great, great grandfather - hence the interest.

Hope this is of some interest to you.

Richard Martin Mackworth Flowerdew

Dear Mr Cornwell

I really enjoyed the first four episodes of ‘The Last Kingdom’ TV series, based on your Warrior Chronicles/Saxon Stories series. However, episode 5 has left an annoying aftertaste, so much so that I feel compelled to write.

As I prefer visual arts (film/TV/museum/gallery) to reading books (perhaps because as an academic I have to read books for my job!) I am relying on the TV version to comment now. However, as apparently Stephen Butchard’s script is a faithful adaption of your books, I feel that I am able to write to you as the initial author.

I was so impressed at the plotting of the first four episodes (apart from a disappointing anti-Christian tinge). The characterisation was also first rate. You also created a hugely impressive period feel. My first degree included some study of the early medieval period, including the C9, so I know something about it –and I have rarely, if ever, seen it so well recreated as in ‘The Last Kingdom’, based on your books.

However, what happened to episode 5? The plot development is atrocious! As if Uhtred would receive no credit whatsoever for being responsible for the great victory and for saving Wessex! All that his friend Leofric needed to do was to have a quiet word in Alfred’s ear when Odda the Younger wasn’t around, and then Uhtred would have received his due credit.

After all, Leofric does, in other episodes, have Alfred’s ear, as one of his senior commanders. The friendship between Leofric and Uhtred is so well done by you/Butchard – and then is spoiled by this daft plot development.

I can’t understand why you would allow such an annoying plot line. As well as being implausible (see above), it is also completely lacking in poetic justice. There is a lot of poetic justice in life, as the following two examples show. The leaders of the terrible Reign of Terror in revolutionary France in 1793-94 themselves swiftly met violent deaths. And Stalin, having murdered millions in his own reign of terror, died because his doctors refused to try and save him in case they were punished for doing something wrong. There are many other examples.

So if even real life can manage to have poetic justice, surely you can manage it in your novels? As it is, this particular plot development really, really grates.

Best wishes

(Dr) Alan Hobson

While a fan of everything you write, nothing in the last 20 years has given me as much pleasure as the three "Arthur" books. Derfel Cadarn is your most rounded character and the detail and invention around the characters, history, legend and folklore is staggering. Reading again for the umpteenth time - it has to be a movie / TV series. Very well done and thank you.

Gregg Lindsay

I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that you have written and as an amateur genealogist I am amazed at the research that you have done on the ancient Royal lines of Briton etc. In your last book with all those impossible to pronounce AA names, you married one of my ancient grandmothers, Alfthryth, to my ancient grandfather, Baldwin of Flanders! I recognized the connection immediately and just wanted to congratulate you on sticking to history as close as one can some 1400 years after the fact.  Thanks for your really great books, the stories are just wonderful!

Bob Ervin