Just finished reading The Fort. Truly a refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable read, which has compelled me to send this note. I have read the Sharpe series of books , and I greatly admire the way you bring real colour to historical events. No more so than in The Fort, a little known piece of history brought to life with great characters and beautifully written. Would make a great film.
Rod
Bulletin Board
Just a note to say how much I am enjoying your writing. The Saxon Stories, The Arthur books, the Grail Quest are my favorites. Keep up the wonderful work. Just finished the Fort, and must admit that this history major never heard of it until you brought it to my attention.
Carl Edwards
My Mum introduced me to 'The Last Kingdom Just last year, when I was 11, and I have become a keen reader of the series since. They are amazing! I admit that I am only half way through the second book; but I am eager to read all of them. I love your books, because they describe everything so vividly that it's like you're actually there! It's so interesting to see the world of the 9th century completely reversed from how we are taught to see it: for once the Vikings have some background, and are not just menaces who come to land, pillage, and then disappear. And I love, (although perhaps I shouldn't!) the way the Saints were revealed; often in a rather unsaintly way, and above all else, the fact that, although some of the book is fiction; it is a novel, all the true elements of the story are simply displayed as they were, with no myths or legends to support them; and that's what makes the series so individual. I am sorry to burden you with my endless ramblings (I assume you get many letters like this), but thankyou so much for listening, from Bethan
Thank you for writing to me Bethan - it was great to hear from you!
Hello my name as you probably now know is Jay i hope not to bore you but i would like to say that i am a teenager coming up to the age of 16 this month and am a very heavy reader a rarity among those of my age and am often ridiculed by my peers because of this though despite that i still continue to read a lot in my spare time the book of yours i read was THE FORT and i confess i didn't really look at who rote it until after i had read it and was very pleased by my purchase then i came across AZINCOURT at my local library and fell in love with it where i then later bought my own copy when i came across the saxon stories i could not stop and whenever i go near books now i keep an eye out for Bernard Cornwell's my favourite stories are the Saxon ones by far they seem to me to bring the past to life in beautiful written stories that i deeply deeply enjoy i hope you continue writing for a very long time and eagerly await your next book as more are all ready on my birthday list. I hope i didn't bore you with the length of this letter. Jay O'Connor
Happy Birthday! (hope you get everything you want!)
I've loved your books for years now (I believe I read the Arthur series shortly when it came out). I've been an awful fan and fell "out of touch" for a couple of years. Life got busy, I started reading some real dry history texts...honestly for a while I was on a huge non-fiction kick but I am back with a vengeance and trying to pick up all the books you've been writing these last years. I can't believe how busy you have been! And I'm extremely excited and grateful! I have just read your story on this site about your wife and why you started writing...it's like a movie (or maybe a really good book). Anyway I just introduced my boyfriend to a couple of series that I have collected of yours and he's fallen in love with your writing. We both are having a great time collecting more of your work! I live in Maine and am kicking myself that I waited until now to find your website. You'll be passing through here in a couple of days and had I known, I would have tried to get a day off from work to get a book signed and listen to you speak. Argggghhhhh! I will be checking your diary now to see if my boyfriend and I can catch you at some other time. Just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!!! You've brought hours of enjoyment into both of our lives and we look forward to the next chapter! Thanks! Shyanne Sullivan
Hi Bernard, I just wanted to thank you for the many hours of wonderful reading that you have given me over the years. I am originally from Basildon but now live in Toronto with my wife, who is originally from South Benfleet, and my son. As I am sure you can appreciate it has been a joy to read about Uhtred and his travels through Mercia, Wessex and East Anglia. All those familiar names and places....wonderful. I will certainly grab a copy of the next instalment when it comes out next month(or more likely have one of my family send me a copy given that it doesn't come out in Canada until early next year). Interestingly I see that the helmet displayed on your website appears to be very similar to that on display at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. I was fortunate enough to live near Sutton Hoo prior to leaving for Canada and visited quite often. I found it absolutely amazing being so close to objects dating back a thousand years. I also lived in Maldon , which I am sure you are aware was the site of yet another conflict between Vikings and Saxons in 991AD. I have always been fascinated by history and thoroughly enjoy how you bring it to life. So once again thank-you. Do you have any plans to visit the Toronto area? Anyway I will not take up anymore of your time. Kind Regards Doug Wicks
Toronto is not in my plans at the moment; but I do hope to be back there again one day!
Dear Mr. Cornwell, I'm sorry for my little english. I live near Milan, in Italy, and I'm a Mechnical Engineer. My life and my job are very distant from yours. However, when I'm very stressed the best thing for me is to to get into a Sharpe story ! Thanks for your job! Unfortunately I have just discovered that only nine Sharpe' s books have been translated in Italian .... Good luck and best regards, SZ
No books or manuscripts, just appreciation for your books. I'm reading the Starbuck series now since this year begins the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, which we will celebrate until 2015. My family and I live in Manassas Virginia and these anniversary celebrations are very big here. Timing may be right for restarting the Starbuck series. In any event, thank you for making history come alive! Steve Venckus
Dear Bernard After reading that your doing another book on Thomas of Hookton.I wondered if you had ever thought of going even further back and considered a prequel with his father. The man was dead in the first few pages of Harlequin but there still seems so much more to say about him. While with Nick Hook and his voices what would he make of Joan of Arc and hers and what would they make of each other if they met ? Yours sincerely Geraint P.S Next year is the anniversary of the war of 1812 the British troops in Canada like the troops in Burma in WW2 called themselves the Forgotten Soldiers and I wondered if you could ever be persuaded to write about even 1 of there battles. After all you even had Fredrickson sent over there.
Geraint
I'll think about it! It hasn't occurred to me before and there are so many other projects on the list . . . maybe one day? Thank you
That's another one on the list . . . . but the list grows longer as life gets shorter. Maybe?
Dear Mr. Cornwell, Thanks for giving me many hundreds of hours of enjoyable reading-it began for me with the Arthur series (I had an idea to try and write my own, but everyone elses books are too good!)and then last year for my summer fun reading on the hammock I read the classic 10 (or was it 12?) Sharpe books (the paperbacks with the orange covers). A French descendant(via Quebec great-great grandparents) I nonetheless found myself cheering for Richard and Co., although I felt REAL bad about the cavalry charge at Waterloo-all those wonderfully valiant horses and men sent to their deaths in vain...but I could be talking about any battle, really. Your Stonehenge book was the latest read-WOW! I have a dream of going to England to see the "sites", I will try to not invoke Camaban, and his brothers, when I go! A Great Read! Now here's the pitch-If you ever are in, or coming to, R.I.(particularly Southern R.I.) and want a tour of some fun archeological sites, or just want to yap with a fellow (but amateur) history/archeology fan, or just are in the area for what ever reason, I would consider it a great honor to meet you-and please don't think I'm star-trippin, or suffering from grand delusions or anything odd: just letting you know that you have a fan in Rhode Island who would consider it a privilege and again,honor, to meet you. Respectfully, Johnny Provo P.S.I cut off the "st" from my last name in a vain effort at proper French pronunciation-imagine my initial reaction when reading the Sharpe series and seeing what my last name really meant to Richard and the rest of His Majestys' troops! Too funny!
Thank you!