Bulletin Board

Thank you for writing worth reading. My husband and I always enjoy your books and own a whole shelf or two of them. I first became aware of you many years ago when my husband introduced me to Sharpe's Rifles. I was hooked -- on the character, the settings, the history. When I was 12 I read my first book about the Civil War and discovered an avid interest in battles, tactics, and history altogether. Not the norm for a girl, but . . . I love your "notes" at the end of your books, and greatly appreciate the time, effort, and obvious love and zeal you project in researching your historical frames. There is an aura about battlefields, where so much human heart, as well as lives, is won and lost. It is hard to write battle scenes so that the reader is there, in the midst of it, in the thick of it. It is a gift you have, and we so love being on the receiving end of that gift. Your writing is such that I can immerse myself in it without being rudely bumped back into reality by obvious holes and sentences that make no sense. I appreciate the efforts of your editors in this, also, but to produce writing of this caliber you must have an excellent foundation. I know, because just about ever since I could read I've run the gamut from comic books to classics. I decided to write and let you know, not only how much we enjoy your writing, but why. I don't think I "have a book in me" so I review the books of others. I enjoy steering other people to books that are worth the effort of reading. Finding a good one, or a consistently good author, is like finding a four-leaf clover. Thank you. You are greatly appreciated.

Linda McDaniel Smith

I need more Sharpes Books in German, please !
Boris Holland

Dear Bernard;

I've read nearly everything you've written, several times, and re-read the books frequently.  I eagerly await the day when you might find further employment for your Gallows Thief, or Nathaniel Starbuck.  I have often thought how unfair it is to you as an author, that a book may be read in the space of several hours when it takes months or even years to write. Needless to say, I look forward to the next work, regardless of the series ... and I love to spend time thinking about how you exercise your craft as a writer, and the flaws and attention to detail with which you make these people seem real. So much more than historical research there!

I greatly appreciated your column of advice to writers. Thank-you very much.

Best Regards from Brampton, Ontario

Bruce Madole

Mr. Cornwell,

I wanted to write and tell you how Sgt. Harper's simple optimism helped me through my deployment in Afghanistan.  Whenever I felt down in spirits, I reminded myself that Sgt. Harper found happiness in being alive and fed.  That was a line from Sharpe's Regiment, I believe.  Anyway, good words to remember.
J.P.

Hello Mr. Cornwell,

I have just finished reading the last of the Sharpe series and I was wondering if you would write another book about him. I read your Q&A and I have seen that you might write another 1 about Sharpe. I think that is amazing and I hope Patrick Harper will be present (and lost some weight) again.

Thanks for all your great books

Might I by the way recommend Jack Hight to you? He doesn't write in the same time as you but his books are also very enjoyable historical fiction

Peter Klaver

Hello Mr C.
the first book of yours that I read was Stonehenge because I have been into archaeology and British prehistory for a lifetime.  The imaginative scenarios breathed life into the grey stone of prehistoric monuments. I see the in a different light now.
Then I started on Sharpe, not a period of history that previously interested me but I found myself studying uniforms in the Osprey book Armies of the Napoleonic Wars.  Sharpe is marvellous, keeping me entertained through this winter.
Regards
Bob

Hi again Mr. Cornwell.

This message is actually for Robert Douglas.  Robert, you are thinking of the Strelski, the palace guard of the early Russian Czars.  They did use a long handled axe, the padiche, but weren't really identified with it the way the Varangians were.  They also carried a saber and a matchlock musket.  The padiche, driven butt first into the ground also served as a stand to steady the musket on while firing.  The Strelski lasted until 1698, when they were purged and disbanded by Peter the Great, who wanted a more modern army.

Alan Kempner

I hope that I have enough time on this earth to catch up with all of your books. I was hooked on Sharp stories whilst stationed in Portugal and consumed them avidly. I thought that I was finished when I got to Waterloo, however, I found the Arthur stories, the 100 years wars and the Saxon stories. I have just finished 1356 and have to say that it is a brilliant read. I felt that I was there on 19 September 1356. Scary stuff. Thanks for increasing my understanding of those years long ago.
M.E.

G'day from Australia. Just want to say thanks, really, for all your books. I have read everything you have written and most of them several times. Just back with Uhtred at the moment as he hacks his way through the landscape. I will never be short of anything to read ever again, as I always enjoy reading your stories over again. I think Sharpie will be next - from start to finish in chronological order - about the tenth time, I think...

Cheers

Kevin Phelan

Mr Cornwell
Just wanted to congratulate you on another excellent novel. I've enjoyed all your series but as the author of a moderately successful mediaeval fantasy series for young readers, I have absolutely loved your tales of English longbowmen. (The longbow is the weapon of choice for my protagonists as well). Congratulations on a great story, superb research and your incredibly involving descriptions of battles. On another note, I empathise with your requesting readers NOT to send you story ideas. It's an ongoing problem, isn't it? I look forward to your next book, whatever it may be. Thanks for the hours of entertainment you've given me.

John Flanagan Author,

Ranger's Apprentice Series.