Bulletin Board

Mr. Cornwell (yes, mister--I'm old-fashioned because I'm old!).

I came across some unexpected downtime recently. I could have pissed and moaned about it, but honest to God, my first thought was "Woo hoo! Deep dive into Last Kingdom!" It's working slick. The TV series got me through the first 10 days. I could start reading again after that so I tore through the first three books in a week. The next three books just arrived today.  Yes, I enjoy your books. A lot.  The stories get me thinking about what history means, what it is.  The Fort shook me out of my complacent acceptance of American textbook history. Started reading more history. Stumbled into a awesome Sunday information guide at Fort Knox (ME). Yes, I recommend The Fort to every single person who asks for more history on that part of the State. Well, that's more than I expected to say. Thanks for writing and lighting a bonfire of curiosity in me across so many times and places.

Judy Angsten

I absolutely love your books.  I've listened to them all.  Hate that Last Kingdom is over.  If you have any influence for narrators on your books. Please try to influence those in charge to have Matt Bates perform the first 5 Last Kingdom books.  A few of the narrators are horrible and don't do Uthred and the Last Kingdom what it deserves.   I can listen to the Last Kingdom books that Matt Bates performs over and over.  The writing is incredible and then performed by Matt makes them come alive.  Matt Bates is Uthred.

Tammy

Mr. Cornwell OBE

Hey, I am a 17 year old from Texas and I want you to know I have fallen in love with your writing and all of your books. In the past three years I have read the warlord chronicles, the Saxon chronicles, the archer tales, and I currently have 2 books left in the Sharpe series. Finding an author as entertaining and interesting as you had been a blessing to me, because I love historical fiction but frequently struggle to find an author  who can write a good story with historical facts woven in, and all of your books have done this. I just want you to know that I will continue to read all of your new books and the few books I have not yet read. Thank you for all of the good times and great tales -Samuel Love

 

Mr. Cornwell,

I just finished 'Warlord' this evening, and I feel like a season of my life just ended and I lost a friend in Uhtred! Seriously though, I just want to thank you for all of your hard work writing this series--telling great historical tales and developing amazing fictional characters--with so much passion and care for getting the important facts straight. I'll be honest, I was on a plane and sat next to a random guy who was a little tipsy, and he saw I was reading a different historical fiction and he started raving about how you were the best, so I took down your name and went to the library. I started with The Grail Quest series, and loved it, and then started the Last Kingdom Series just before the television show launched. I really enjoy the show, but have just loved the books. I particularly love medieval history so I''m going to check out your Arthur Books next. I'm hopeful you'll tackle another medieval period next though! Anyway, I recognize that so much work and energy and care goes into your craft of telling these stories, and I appreciate it. Thank you!

Cory Huffman

Mr. Cornwell,

 

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for writing your latest addition to your Sharpe series.  I started reading this series as a teenager having first watched BBC’s renditions on television featuring Sean Bean.  Your books encouraged a life long love of military history, and we’re the spark in starting my own odyssey through the ranks of the US Navy (that lasted a quarter century).  Reading the renewed adventures of Sharpe and Harper have taken me on a stroll through my own memories as well.  Thank you, Sir, for each of your superb books; and particularly your latest.  I pray there might be more in this series.

 

Best Wishes,

“Bishop” O.

CDR(Ret) USN

Dear Bernard

This new book just out on the British Army in the 1793/95 Flanders Campaign might be of interest to you.

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/no-want-of-courage-the-british-army-in-flanders-1793-1795-2.php

Geraint

 

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I just wanted to say how much I love your stories. You probably hear this many, many times! But I read a LOT, & my most favourite stories are well-researched, & well written historical novels. I like all your books, but I really love the Uhtred ones most of all. I just wanted to thank you for writing about a period of time that isn't often discussed, especially without Christian propaganda (don't worry- I'm not ranting about that sort of thing!) - I know that it isn't a documentary, but the best stories make sense of a time that we don't have a written record of (& as we know, the written records aren't always the truth!) Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. Thank you for the fantastic stories of our own past!

Many thanks & love,

Jenny

Greetings and well wishes Mr. Cornwell,

I simply wanted to express to you how much I enjoy your work. It's rare to find an author who has such a prolific body of work while being so consistent in quality. I've read you for more than two decades and will continue to read and re-read for many years to come. I had been telling a friend about your novels recently and recounted an experience from high school around the year 2000, and thought I'd pass it along.

I had enrolled in drama class and we were tasked with putting on a short, two person play, less than five minutes, and me and a friend did a rendition of Derfel's confrontation with Diwrnach in Lleyn. I think at the time I just wanted an excuse to curse in class. It was very funny at the time, and every time I think about it I want to re-read the series. Sadly no royalties to pass along, was a one time only performance.

Best wishes to yourself and your family,

Michael Ginn

Nova Scotia, Canada

Mr. Cornwell,

I just want to thank you for the books that you have written. They are all favorites. My dad, 96 and still an avid reader introduced me to you and your books. He has read and re-read the Sharpe seires at least 5 times. He doesn't get out much, except through his mind.

Thank you again.

Best,

Greg Williams

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

Good  morning.  Fortunately my reason for writing includes none of the proscribed subjects - it is simply to thank you for re-invigorating my fondness for history and primary sources.  I'm a recovering U.S. Naval officer by trade, and I found in my naval travels that my interest and education in history served me well both personally and professionally.  Even in my post Navy employment, I had my love of history rekindled as I followed COL Frederick Burnaby around what's now Uzbekistan in a later incarnation of The Great Game and in Eastern Europe where I tumbled to the realization that the Bulgarians had been on the wrong side of pretty much every conflict they undertook since they were the Thracians....

But those opportunities were generally overtaken by the press of business.  So when I picked up your Warlord Chronicles I was delighted to be presented with an historically plausible backdrop for one of my favorite characters, who I knew from boyhood reading of T.H.White and Mallory, but only in their mid/late medieval context.  I found myself working my way back through your books to learn where the stories and sometimes unfamiliar characters originated.  This led me to a selection of relatively recent books advocating for an historical Arthur, although like you I'm unconvinced by some of the intellectual leaps required to settle on a fellow called Owain about whom nothing is known but his name and perhaps his address, or by the notion that Arthur might be a title, etc..

Nonetheless, I quickly saw that these historians all came to their conclusions by different readings of the same material (the selection being somewhat limited), which I could replicate to some degree, so I've now read through the translated Mabinogian (which made my lips hurt trying to get my head wrapped around the Welsh pronunciations), as well as a good bit of Nennius and Gildas (these are a tough slog for casual reading), and even some related material that does nothing to illuminate the historicity of Arthur, but does fill in some interesting background.  The result of which is a hugely satisfying better understanding of what, when I was in elementary and even high school, was known as the Dark Ages, and particularly post-Roman Britain.  None of which would likely have been undertaken but for the curiosity that arose in reading (and re-reading) your Arthur books.

I should mention that I came to them by way of your Last Kingdom series, which I read in as real time to their publication as I could manage.  I'm now embarking on working back through the chronology - War Lord hooked me on the  Battle of Brunanburh, thence to Michael Livingstone's book, etc...

So to finish making a short story long, I wanted to thank you for the inspiration to get back to doing what I enjoy - this journey started over 50 years ago with Thomas Costain and C.S. Forester, through Patrick O'Brian and now you in my pantheon of really gripping historical novelists whose books I will pick up without question.  If what you wrote didn't happen, it should have.

For which many thanks.

Sincerely,

Kevin Baxter