We love reading your novels, We can't wait till October when Uhtred returns to our lives, sort of feels like were going home. Your books definitely make us look deeper into our era of life. Donna & Richard
I would just like to tell you that you are my favorite writer and I enjoy reading all of your books and that is all I have to say, except I can't wait until you come out with some more books. Sincerely, John Wiegert
Love your work!!!
Woochee DeLoach
Dear Mr Cornwell, I've just discovered your website, mainly because I am re-reading all of your Sharpe novels, which I started collecting with Sharpe's Rifles many years ago, and I was interested in other books you have written. My interest in the period is due to the fact that although I was born and raised in London, along with my older brother, my father Manuel (family name VIGO) was born and raised in the city of La Coruna (or Corunna as the English say) and every summer that I went there, my grandfather (a RSM in the Spanish Cavalry) would take me to the "English Garden" to see Moore's grave. My mother Gianfranca (family name ODINOLFI) comes from a village near the city of Bergamo in Lombardy, northern Italy, and so has some interesting connections regarding Napoleon's conquests too. A few years ago I happened to be staying with my grandparents in La Coruna during the summer with my parents and older brother, and a recreation of the battle there took place over a weekend, which was wonderful to watch (it took place in the field opposite my grandparents' flat near the Roman Tower of Hercules lighthouse, rather than on the actual battlefield outside the city limits (my father tells me that when he was a boy, La Coruna was, in fact, an island separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. It is so built up now that I never realised it wasn't just a "crown" of land jutting out into the sea, but is, in fact, artificially connected to it by roads. Anyway, I just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading your books. I even enjoy the films with Sean Bean, although I always find the battles more evocative in your books than in the films, which tend to concentrate more on his love life than his battles, but perhaps I'm one of those women who grew up as a tomboy and always was more interested in playing football and war games with my brother and the other boys than playing dolls with other girls, and this attitude has obviously followed me into adult life. I look forward to reading your other books (I have a love of history, particularly the history of the people involved, that makes me think that I'll like your other books). Kind regards. Marianne Vigo
Dear Mr. Cornwell: I have the honor of having read all your books so far and be truly an admirer of your magnificent thoroughly-researched novels. I have rather a friendly complaint regarding your last series of novels (The Saxon Series) which in my belief is your best so far. Unlike the Sharpe series, each book does not contain an independent story, and unlike the Arthur series, there are not significant events separating each of two consecutive novels. As a result, once the reader finishes, for instance, Lords of the North, he remains with a huge thirst to know what would happen next. It's absolutely understandable from a business point of view, or perhaps more delicately put, from the publisher's point of view, but the poor reader has to wait one full year, or perhaps more, to read the next novel. And then once that novel is published, like giving sea water to a dehydrated person, leaving him in a more desire to wait to read the next novel. With all due respect, it's a very cruel and unusual punishment for your regular readers to wait so long periods of time to read a novel and then be left in the air to read the next one. I do hope that the follow-up to the Lords of the North come out sooner. Yours truly, Henry Guise
I am delighted to discover you! Reading the list of books you have already written, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that. My favorite genre is historical fiction, not the bosom-heaving kind, but books that are authentic and carefully researched, like yours. I've just finished the third of the Saxon Tales. Bravo! I've never read any fiction of that period. You must have had fun studying the history. I hope these stories of Uhtred continue to flow quickly from your pen because I'm almost 78! Thanks for the great pleasure you are giving me. Nancy
Hello Bernard Cornwell, Why is it that there always seems to be a new Wilbur Smith title but a new Bernard Cornwell title seems a very long time coming? Catherine Shaw
I have just finished reading "Lord of the North", third in the Saxon series. I just wanted to write with what I consider to be the highest of compliments. Upon finishing, I was disappointed that it had ended. I wanted there to be more. There are many authors I enjoy, but there are few who leave me feeling like that. Many thanks for a very great read. Blessings, Gary
Dear Mr Cornwell, first of all: I am a big fan of your Sharpe-books! With all due respect, but there is one thing that strikes me: You seem to underestimate the musket. Let me give an example; it's from Sharpe's Escape, last chapter: "Muskets could fight each other at a hundred paces and it was a miracle if an aimed shot hit,...". There are several statements like this in (I guess) all your Sharpe books. Well, of course it's true that muskets are much less accurate than rifles, BUT I assure you: A good musketman is considered to be able to hit a man from 70-80 (maybe even 90) yards distance. And concerning the volley-fire: There are many contemporary shooting-tests (e.g. by Scharnhorst in 1810) which show that musket volley-fire was effective even at long ranges up to 330 yards, HOWEVER only in theory. What I want to say is, that the musket itself is not the inherently inaccurate weapon it's often said to be, but that it's mostly the shooters fault (e.g.nervousness in battle) when a ball goes wild. That's it already, sir. Your loyal reader Kai-Arne
And windage? Ammunition was often ill made and never, of course, fitted the bore properly. My best source are Prussian tests conducted during the wars when a battalion fired their muskets at a target 100 feet wide and six feet high. These were trained troops, not under pressure. At 75 yards 60% hit the target. At 150 yards the hits were down to 40%. At 225 yards only 25% hit the target. I guess you're saying the glass is half full, and I'm claiming it's half empty! And, of course, it is the inherent inaccuracy of a musket that forced it to be used as a volley weapon, rather than as a sharp-shooter's gun.
I was first introduced to your work in 2002 (or so) when my history instructor gave a reading/term paper assignment on how closely historical (but fictional) books follow true hisotry. I chose The Winter King and have been hooked since. I just finished your latest installment in the Saxon stories and can't wait to find out what happens to Uhtred. Thank you so much for your creativity and talent. It's great to be able to step back in time with your novels. Keep and the great work!!
Derrick Brown