Bulletin Board

Q

I just wanted to thank you for your very entertaining books. They carried me though the winter(as TV, short of some PBS shows, is garbage). I had just finished Patrick O'Brian's "Aubrey/Maturin" series and my daughter bought me the first 5 books of C.S. Forester's "Hornblower" series for Christmas. Then I was out of books for a couple of weeks and my wife picked up "The Archer's Tale" ("Harlequin" sorry), then the "Vagabond" and the "Heretic" at the library. I enjoyed them. From the jackets I rediscovered you were the author of the worthy series on PBS "Sharpe's Rifles". Since I've never seen a movie or a show that could do a book justice and I was interested in the period setting fron O'Brian's work, I have been reading your "Sharpe" series with a good deal of enthusiasum and appreciation. Chronologically I am up to "Sharpe's Sword". I only regret that I find them enthralling and therefore a fast read. I appreciate the stories and your historical notes and have to believe you enjoyed writing them as much as I did reading them. Thank you once again. Roger Eddy


Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell: I have recently discovered your novels, although I see you have been around for quite some time. I'm voraciously going through anything I can find of yours in print other than the Sharpe series. I do like your contemporary novels, even though they are not your favorites, but I especially love the Viking series...(re: Thomas of Hookton) Personally, I went to your books for a change of pace, and I have not been disappointed in one of them. My only complaint is that I cannot get through them fast enough. I think I will next go to the Arthur series, then I will try the Starbuck Chronicles. I do so envy your talent. Sincerely, Shan Octavio


Q

Hi I've just finished reading the second of your Warlord books, having already read the first and the last. I thought it was the best of the three, with a lot of twists and action. After reading it, I went on the web to read about what historical and mythical information there is about Arthur. While doing so I had a thought which you might find interesting, or which you might have had already. When you write historical novels you manage to frame a lot the legendary material in an original, entertaining, yet historically plausible way. But with the Arthur legends there are two problems with this. Firstly, there is no way of getting round the fact that the saxons actually won eventually, Arthur or no Arthur. Secondly, reconciling Arthurs departure, sleep, and eventual return with actual historical accuracy seems completely impractical. (I pause at this juncture to recompose myself because my girlfriend has just read this and has spent the last ten minutes laughing at me and calling me a geek) Then I read about the Bretons, who moved to Brittany in France because of the Saxon invasion. I thought about William the Conqueror, part Breton, and the Bretons in his army in 1066. And I thought, in a way, King Arthur did return victorious! Its not such a stretch to imagine that Arthurs escape was to Brittany, nor is it that if he established a line of descent, he would be one of William the Conquerors ancestors. And the Bretons who fought for William at the battle of Hastings would have been descended from those driven out of Britain by the Saxons however many centuris before. This isn't an idea for a book, just a line of reasoning I thought you might be interested in hearing.

By the way, never read Sharpe, but I loved the Grail Quest books (did research for that give you the idea for doing the Arthur books?), the warlord books, and I think Uhtred is a delightfully dark sort of hero! How many books are there in ALfred and Uhtred? Looking forward to the next one. Thanks for the books! Paul

A

It's an idea, of course, and the only fly in that otherwise nice ointment is that William was a Norman, and the Normans got their name from the Northmen and were, in fact, Vikings. Still, it is a nice idea!

The Arthur books were written about five years before I began writing the Grail Quest series.

I don't know how many Uhtred books there will be - Maybe seven? Maybe eleven? I'll know when I reach the end.


Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell I'm an avid reader and have read hundreds of novels even though I am only a senior in high school. I have to say though that your novels, especially the warlord trilogy were my favorite. I've read the first two books of the Last Kingdom series and I can wait for the Lords of the North. Your books have been kind of an inspiration to me, now I find I can't learn enough about the arthurian tales, about the british isle's history, and scandinavias history. Back to the warlord trilogy though, I read the whole series in a week and I was so sad when it ended. Currently I"m on my fifth time of reading the series and I wish there was more to the story but the legend must end somewhere. I hope you continue to write books about the pre-renaissance era because those are what I am most interested in,not to sound selfish. I just want to thank you for creating such great works of art and helping me realize what I now what I love the most, history.:-) Steven


Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, Like so many others, I wanted to write and tell you how much I enjoy your writing. I have read the Grail Quest series and am halfway through the Starbuck Chronicles and have become thouroughly immersed both. Also greatly enjoyed The Last Kingdom. You are truly a master at mixing historical fact with engrossing, believeable, fiction. I envy you the hours and hours you must spend doing the research. Your chosen periods are fascinating. Someday, when I have far more time to spare I will tackle the Sharpe series, but I know once I start, I will have to tear through them all. Many thanks for your wonderful books. -John


Q

Just wanted to say many thanks for providing me with such a vast volume of excellent stories - if I were to have a Top 5 authors list you'd be at the top along with Tolkien, Graham Shelby, George Shipway and Martin Middlebrook. Having read (and re-read) the Arthur books, the Grail Quest and the first two books of the Saxon Stories, I have now finally begun the first of the Sharpe books. I feel like a miner who has just cracked open another rich seam of gold! Great stuff - you're a gifted man. Rob Perkins


Q

Dear Sir, Having just read "The Last Kingdom" I just had to write and tell you how much I enjoyed this novel. I am an avid reader of historical novels and note with satisfaction that your novels actually make the reader feel as if they are actually there. Thank you for a great read.
Norman Poucher


Q

I know you have heard this a million times. I just started reading Sharpe's adventures recently and I can't get enough of them. You are going to make me broke as I have to go out and order all of them. Looking forward to reading your other books and anything new for Sharpe. Damn you are good. Thanks. Alan Frandsen


Q

Dear Mr.Cornwell. Thank you very much for your books. I just want you to know that you have fans even in Yemen. Some time ago I was lucky to buy your 2 books in foreign airport: Sea Lord and Crackdown. I never was sorry for spent money, never. Your books are great! Really thrilling and exciting. We don't have here in Yemen many English books, but I hope some day I'll read all of your books. Thanks again. Leila Khaled


Q

I have just read that there is a new Sharpe novel coming out in October - thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! Jeanne MacDonald