Bulletin Board

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I am enjoying your book Waterloo immensely. I just have one complaint: your treatment of French surnames like De Grouchy. On page 27 you write, “Napoleon created one new Marshal for the coming campaign: Emmanuel, Marquis de Grouchy. Davout advised against the appoint-ment, but Napoleon insisted. Grouchy was an aristocrat from the ancien régime and had been fortunate to survive the slaughters of the French Revolution.” In a language like French the correct way to start a sentence with the surname of someone like Emmanuel de Grouchy, would be: “De Grouchy was an aristocrat…”. In French the surname is not “Grouchy”, but “De Grouchy”. Incidentally, the same convention holds true for Dutch and German surnames. Getting rid of the “De” in “De Grouchy” makes as much linguistic sense as deleting the Mac from MacDonald.

Apart from this one annoyance, the book is a really good yarn. Keep up the good work.

Yours sincerely,

Pierre Roets

Hello, Mr. Bernard Cornwell,

 

My name is Joe, I am from Phoenix, Arizona in the United States. I've been reading your books for about 20 years now. The first book I read was An Archers Tale, given to me by my dad. I had just finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit. Those are my favorite books when it comes to Fantasy. Historical fiction, goes to you. I've read your stories about Thomas Hookton, and Nathaniel Starbuck. Both of those series are great, but then I read Sharpes Tiger.

Richard Sharpe is by far my favorite character. I think it's because I see a lot of him in myself. I haven't read the short stories yet, but I will. I read every single book though.

I started writing short stories about 15 years ago, I let it go and I shouldn't have. After finishing the last Sharpe book, I found my passion for writing ignite again. I just wanted to thank you. On top of inspiring me to write again, your Rebel series helped carry me through my deployments in the Iraq War. I had just lost a good friend at that time, and your books lifted me out of that dark spot in time.

You're a great writer. I hope you're doing well. I will write my own novel, and I can only hope to one day inspire someone as you've inspired me.

Sincerely,

Joe

Mr. Cornwell,

Just want to say that the last kingdom series is brilliant. Every book. I have thouroughly enjoyed reading them over and over. Imagine my disappointment when there were to be no more, but I am grateful for you providing me with a story which has been so superbly written and crafted.

 

So thanks again for the hours of reading pleasure you have given and continue to give. If you get bored remember there are periods in the aeries where more tales could be slotted in😁. (Not a plot idea, just a simple plea).

 

Thanks again

 

Yours sincerely

 

Martin Dobbing

 

I just want to thank you for your observation on Saxon England. It's not a period of history I have ever paid too much attention to but have now become fascinated with. Your works have shone a light on many an interesting and influential character in a country (eventually) that I have spent my whole life living in. I have always been a student of history but you really brought an interest into how "England" came to be. Although you may also be blamed for many headaches over the "Ae" based names.

 

I wish you all the best and thank you for igniting a flame of passion in a new era of history I was yet to explore

 

Kind regards,

 

Josh

Bernard,

just a note of appreciation. I retired not so long ago and wanted to re-engage in reading for pleasure. I picked your Saxon tales series and I have really enjoyed it. I just finished warriors of the storm and look forward to the last few in the series.  I also just bought the entire sharpe series to read next!   Thank you for your prolific and thoroughly enjoyable work.

Chris

Having read almost all the Sharpe books I am just now finishing Sharpe's Command. I hope this message finds you well as we are about of the same age. I very much enjoyed the historical accuracy of Sharpe, as I did those of Horatio Hornblower as well as the Flashman books. I still have your non-Sharpe books to go through so keep on writing. Thank you very much for your work.

Best wishes,

Jeff Wyckoff

 

Hi Bernard

Just a quick line to thank you for the brave step you took in moving to America and taking the decision to write your first book. I am an avid reader generally but I'm captivated by Uhtred! I am due to visit Bebbanburg later this year. Currently on book 10, The Flame Bearer, and dreading finishing my last book.  It will feel as though I have lost a friend! Thank you for the hours of pleasure these books give and I'm only sorry I won't get to meet you in person as I live in the UK. Maybe we will see a sequel to Uhtred? I will keep everything crossed.

Very best wishes,

Teresa

 

Greetings, I just wanted to tell you that you are the reason I got into reading since high-school. The last kingdom is and will forever be my top 5 book series. I just couldn't stop reading it. I would think about Uhtred of Bamburgh and his adventures all day and night until I can continue reading it. I hope this message finds you well and you have a great day much love.

Robert Pardue

 

Greetings from Vancouver, Canada!  I just finished reading your “Warlord Chronicles” trilogy (The Winter King, Enemy of God, Excalibur) and it was one of the very few times an author has drawn me so deeply into a story that I didn’t want it to end.  In fact I felt as if I had to bid a sad good-bye to a group of friends (and fiends) I’ll never see again.  I loved the way you de-romanticized the myths surrounding Arthur with realistically flawed characters and rather odious accounts of everyday life in 5th century Britain, yet at the same time delivered a 1,500 page saga filled with heroes and despots, love and war, and just the right touch of magic to place your tome comfortably between historical fiction and earthbound fantasy.  I’m still replaying those final moments of “Excalibur” in my head.  You have a remarkable gift for teleporting readers to a different time and place with descriptive language that appeals to all five senses, thank-you for sharing that gift with the rest of us.  And just to let you know, I was so impressed with this introduction to your work that I went out and bought “Stonehenge” as well as the entire “Last Kingdom” series.

Robert Caspick

Dear Mr. Cornwall,

I have been reading your books, the Sharpe novels, in publication order. I have enjoyed them, but they were only entertaining in my opinion. I finished Sharpe’s Enemy this evening, about fifteen minutes ago. I cried my eyes out. Thank you for such a beautifully written book. I couldn’t put it down. I have Sharpe’s Honor on my bedside table. I might wait a few days, because I think I still need to process Sharpe’s Enemy. But I will be reading it as soon as I can.

Yours Sincerely,

Clarke Mitchell