Bulletin Board

Dear Sir, I was introduced to your books through watching Sharpe on tv and was instantly hooked, I have since started to read the Saxon stories and I read the grail quest earlier this year. My dad borrowed me the Starbuck chronicles which I loved but when I went online to order the next chapter I found the series ended in 1996. I must insist you pull your finger out and get Nate on the march asap, many thanks Scott.

Mr. Cornwell- I'm e-mailing on the feral hope that you paddle through all the critics responding to your books. Please allow me to first say, Thank you for your time, dedication and entertainment!! I was tickled when I started your Saxon series. I have to admit, I have a not so secret crush on Uhtred; I love his rash personality and his ability to love and hate the very same people. His loyalty to his oaths is boggling, but I could expect no less from this warrior. Your sometimes violent yet wildly engaging story line is held close to my literary heart and earns a well-earned spot on our family bookshelf. I am looking forward to supporting your talent and enchantment-flowing pen. Thank you again, for your enthusiasm and the enjoyment you've brought into my home. I can't wait to read on with this series and to begin a new set. (I hope the rumor of the Saxon series living on is true). With sincere thanks and overwhelming respect, and as one of newest unwavering fans following your opus of staggering value, Tia Oakman

Hi Mr. Cornwell. In a September 30th posting, Michael asked about Napoleonic books written from the French perspective. He should get Patrick Rambaud's Napoleonic trilogy of novels: 1) The Battle" (Aspern-Essling), 2) "The Retreat" (Moscow), and 3) "Napoleon's Exile" (Elba). Also, he should read R. A. Delderfield's wonderful book "Seven Men from Gascony." Alan Kempner

Hi Bernard, Just waiting for your next book and a thought occurred to me. I have read in these "your question pages" that you regret killing off Obadiah Hakeswell. Let me speak for those of your readers who wished Obadiah dead long before you actually did the deed. He should have been eaten by those tigers at Seringapatam. He deserved it for that put up job to get Sharpe flogged. Not to mentioned all the other times you used your Godlike abilities of author to spare him. I really blame Sharpe for not finishing him off sooner...what with all the mercy he showed Obadiah and none for the Kings enemies?

Bob Long

Dear Mr. Cornwell: I love your work and will joyfully continue to read whatever continues to spark your interest. That having been said, I do have preferences, and to the extent that your interest may be sparked by the interests and desires of your fans I offer the following. I really enjoyed the offbeat characters and the dark, twisted tone and subject matter of "Gallows Thief", and I'm quite disappointed that there are no planned sequels. You seem to spend quite a lot of your time in "barbaric" Britain by choice, but the exploration of barbarity as an undercurrent beneath gilded and civilized British culture was quite dramatic and powerful. It was almost Dickensian, except without the cheese. I'd like more of that. Also, I know you've been taken to task by quite a few readers for having abandoned the Starbuck stories in favor of more Richard Sharpe. I like Sharpe, but I think it's fair to say that he's been pretty effectively covered. I mean no disrespect in saying this, but several months ago another of my favorite authors, Robert Jordan, passed away and left his life's work uncompleted, I think because he had gotten too caught up inside of the world he had created and lost sight of the reasonable goal of telling his tale. So we now have essentially a 10,000 page unfinished novel which will eventually be cobbled together in some fashion by hired talent working on behalf of the author's estate. I'm in my middle fifties now - as, I believe, was Mr. Jordan - and my sincere hope is that you and I both will enjoy another forty years of writing and reading pleasure (respectively). But I think it's time to allow Richard Sharpe to enjoy a well earned "gentleman's retirement", and finish the telling of Nathaniel Starbuck's tale. Affectionate regards, Larry

I thought that the Sharpe TV series was fantastic...until I started reading the books, which are beyond great. I'm sort of reading them out of order, which I guess makes little difference as they are not dependant on previous books to be excellent writing on their own. Thank you, Mr. Cornwell, for bringing us Sharpe. I haven't done any reading of fiction for 20 years or so, but forgot how enjoyable it can be to get lost in a book. I'm also very pleased to see Sean Bean coming back for another edition or two on screen; hopefully we'll get to see it here in the US. Thank you again from a big fan! -JP

Hello Mr Cornwell. I am enjoying Sharpe's Tiger. The only time I have liked Hakeswill is when he is saved from being killed. He is quite upset and says "it ain't a Christian act." As though all his other nasty acts were. He do remind me of a number of English teachers that I had the misfortune to meet. It is wonderful reread your books because there are things I missed. Look forward to your next book. Nicholas.

Prezado Cornwell..., I am Brazilian and I don't know how to speak very well in English but firstly you split my head with your histories. I like the Medium Age a lot and with your histories I am imagining how it would be to be present in a barrier of shields feeling the smell of blood and war. When I am reading I travel inside of the books in the search of more knowledge and it ventures. I already read Arthur's Chronicles, The Grail Quest, am reading The Saxon Stories and The Sharpe Books. Congratulations.

Tiago Antonio Cominesi

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I have read the Saxon Stories (twice), the Warlord Chronicles Trilogy, The Grail Quest series, and the Starbuck Chronicles. And I must say you are an astoundingly gifted writer. The tales of Uhtred are my favourite of those series, I also think that with the proper funding it could be made into an killer feature film series (at least matching the epic level of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings). Another satisfied customer, Ali Abadi

Bernard. Robert Douglas was asking on Sept 20 about the Black Douglas. Nigel Tranter wrote an excellent novel about The Black Douglas, and Douglas himself was a major character in Tranter's trilogy on Robert The Bruce, including mentioning the incident of taking the Bruce's heart to the crusades - in fact the war to drive the Moors from Spain. Good reads and should be in libraries if not on Amazon. Chris P

With regard to your question about a novel featuring Sir James Douglas (the Black Douglas)Nigel Tranter's The Bruce Trilogy: "Steps to the Empty Throne", "Price of the King's Peace" and "Path of the Hero King" frequently features Sir James. Tranter also wrote another novel entitled "The Black Douglas". However, this relates to the struggle between the Black Douglas family and the Stewart monarchs during the 1400s and concludes with James II of Scotland stabbing the Earl of Douglas to death.. Again let me say that I enjoy every one of your novels and I hope that you will return to Nate Starbuck in the not too distant future. In my opinion your Starbuck novels are the best I have ever read on the American Civil War.
John Pilkington