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My husband began reading The Saxon Tales and recommended them to me. We enjoyed them greatly and he is continuing on with Sharpe's Rifles and others.
I'm writing because in working on my genealogy I tapped into a line that has taken me back to Alfred the Great! You helped bring that time period alive for us and we just wanted to say "Thanks!". Best wishes on all your future writings!

Rebecca & Alan Partington

Hello Bernard,

I have just finished reading Death of Kings and the tale of Uhtred.  Foolishly this is the first I have read in your warrior chronicles, I look forward to the rest, in the right order this time!  I have also read Azincourt and the Sharpe books.  I just wanted to say thank you.  Every time I read one of your books I am filled with a sense of wonder about the time in which the book is set and that can only be down to the detail within the telling of the tale.

Truly thank you!

A J Moore

Happy New Year, Mr. Cornwell.

In a December 31st posting, Robert Douglas was asking about a guard unit that used double-headed battle axes.  He is surely thinking of the Varangian Guard, the elite unit of the Byzantine Empire and personal guard of the emperor.  They were all Danes, Norsemen and Saxons, and specialized in the big Danish Axe.  They served until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

Alan Kempner

Mr. Cornwell;

Thank you for the amazing stories.  Just finished the Warlord Chronicles and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. I look forward to the release of 1356 in the US later this month.  Occasionally I see request for a continuation of Starbuck series and I believe many of your fans would be overjoyed to see where the journey leads.  I look forward to the next adventures of Uhtred, but in the mean time I am going to begin your Sharpe series.  I have passed your books to my father and friends at work and its fun to discuss with everyone which of your series is their favorite.  Thank you again and have a great new year.

Steve from Virginia.

Hi,

I'm currently reading your book, Harlequin, (the first book of yours I've read), and while I'm enjoying it so far, there was one thing that has struck me as I was reading it. This is not a personal criticism of you, as I'm sure you do not condone it, but the scenes relating to rape during the village pillages made me feel really uncomfortable as a woman, and to be honest made me not want to continue reading at one point. While you are not overly descriptive, and while in no way do I get the sense that the story is trying to actively condone rape, it is still dealt with or raised in a way that, forgive me, seems a bit blasé. I understand completely the wish to remain accurate to the time period, when I know this happened, but I still wonder if it's really necessary to allude really strongly to it and to share the viewpoints of main characters who are either vocally indifferent or eager to pursue rape. With the issue of rape, it's just one of those things that if it's not actively
condemned, it is left 'unchallenged', and can therefore become desensitised as an issue. While times have changed dramatically, attitudes towards women and rape have not really changed all that much, and the blasé treatment of rape in all forms of media indirectly and collectively allows it to be dismissed or even glorified by certain people. The fact that everyone in the story is horrified that Thomas almost has his "arse boiled", but simultaneously glorify the rape of woman (and expect the right to do it) may be historically accurate, but it only serves to subtly (and unintentionally I'm sure) reinforce the notion that it is more 'normal' for women to have this happen.

Again, I don't mean to cause you any personal offence, I just felt it was important to let you know that the casual reference to rape in this story (so far) actually left me feeling really uncomfortable as a reader. I also felt it detracted from the story, and my respect for the male characters.

This is just some food for thought, so I honestly don't require a response to this. I'm not writing this to demand an explanation from you, I just merely wanted to let you know how I felt as a reader.

Thank you for your time. I do sincerely look forward to finishing the rest of this book.

Sarah Harrison

On a recent trip to Louisville, KY I found the Frazier History Museum.  The upper floor was dedicated to British history.  The first display had a video regarding battle in a shield wall.  Having just finished "Death of Kings" the previous night, I was hooked.  Later displays walked me through the battles of Crecy (Thomas of Hookton) and Agincourt.  India and the battle of Assaye started me on my Sharpe's journey.  The Napoleonic War era display contained a 7-barreled volley gun, ala Sgt Harper.  The museum-hired actor portrayed rifleman Harris of the 95th Rifles.  When he asked if anyone knew why his jacket was green instead of red, I had an answer.  In our conversation after the performance, I convinced him to read "The Fort".   And though it may seem backwards, your writing made the displays come alive.  Thank you for your superb writing.  Your battle descriptions are terrific.  Having read most of your novels, I anxiously await the next.  1356 was on my Christmas list.
Randall G. Laird

Hello Bernard!

Just a quick one to say Crossbows do not recoil backwards into ones shoulder, they recoil forwards. I noted a couple of times in the Thomas of Hookton books, you mentioned bruising to the shoulder, which is incorrect. Guns recoil that way, but not Crossbows!

The equal and opposite force with a Crossbow is the bowman's body resisting the Crossbow's desire to leap forward. If you think about it, when cocked, the Crossbow's bow is under tension and, when that is released by the trigger, which way does the bow go? Yes, forwards, and it ejects the Bolt in the process. Left unrestrained by the bowman, the whole Crossbow would fly forwards as the trigger is pulled.

They main danger with a Crossbow is slicing off ones fingertips if the stock is not held correctly with fingers tucked out of the way of the string. If fingers project up into the rapid path of the bow string, then pink bits can get sliced off!

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Keith Harrison

I am a 60 year old legalaid lawyer living in Halifax Nova Scotia. I am an avid reader but strangely only recently decided to read your Sharpe series. I am reading the novels in chronological order and am now half way into Escape. My grand-mother's were of English blood (Smith and Hadley). My grand-fathers Scottish, (Matheson and Mac Lennan). My wife is an Acadian. I am really enjoying the Sharpe novels and I thank you for writing this informative and entertaining series.
Cheers
Wayne Matheson

Dear Bernard,

I was a two book a year man until I had a spell of three days in hospital with kidney stones, my son brought me in a book called Sharpe's Tiger and I then read all the Sharpe novels in 12 months.I have since bought and read all your books and just love the historical novel; at the moment I am reading Zulu Hart by Saul David.Wilbur Smith is also a firm favourite  of mine. My favourite book ever is Sharpe's Trafalgar. I would love to see Spielberg make this book into a film

Keith Adams

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I'd like to thank you for the many hours of reading pleasure your
books have given me. I've just finished 'Death of Kings' and am re-reading the Warlord
Chronicles and the Starbuck series. But my favourite is your Azincourt. No one can
describe battle scenes as well as you can and can give a sense of the period as vividly
and convicingly. Your love of the subject comes through.

Thank you.
Patricia