Your Questions

Q

Hi I need your help on finding Naval source books for the Napoleonic War period of time, since I want to write a series about a American born Pirate named Redjack, I've been reading Patrick O'Brien series which is helpful but confusing for a luber like myself. LW

Submitted March 29, 2007

A

There are so many books! You could sink a ship with all those books! So so many it's hard to know where to start - but maybe start at the very top and look for The Wooden World by N. A. M. Rodger. Then follow his bibliography . . . . his more recent book, The Command of the Ocean, is brilliant, and you will find the bibliography there much more up to date - but in both cases slanted heavily towards the Royal Navy. O'Brien is wonderful, of course, and very technical. There was a recent book on the American frigates of 1812 called Six Frigates by Ian Toll, and his bibliography could point you to specifically American sources. Good liuck!

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell Since a young teenager I have been a great fan of C. S. Forester. I read and re-read many of his books, including Death To The French. Later I began reading, and re-reading, Sharpe. I have continued to do so with a great deal of pleasure, but I have often wondered whether some of your inspiration for Sharpe may have come from C. S. Forester's novel. Two days ago I finished Sharpe's Escape for the second time and I noticed newly promoted Rifleman Dodd disappearing down the hill to escape from the French and not returning. I have spent today wondering about that. It has been many years since I read Death To The French but I felt sure that the hero's name was also Matthew Dodd - it's been frustrating waiting for the day to end so that I could check. I am immensely pleased to find this is so, also that they both disappeared on the retreat to the lines of Torres Vedras. I hope this is not just a coincidence. With many thanks for hours of pleasure and entertainment. Yours sincerely, Titus Hackman

Submitted March 29, 2007

A

I loved the Hornblower books as a kid and so yes, it's not just a coiincidence but more of a tribute to C.S. Forester.

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I just wanted to know if you were planning on writing a book about Sharpe's battle in Flanders? If not the ideas out there and I want royalties (just kidding) love the Sharpe books and once I've finished will read some other of your books. Tom Owen

Submitted March 29, 2007

A

Having taken Sharpe backwards in time once I'm not inclined to do it again, but who knows? I once said I'd never write the Indian books and I did.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell please can we have another book in the Starbuck Collection? There are so many loose ends that need tying up; Billy Blythe, the Falkners, how does Nate, Truslow, and Potter survive the war, will Nate get the Girl and which one, will Sharps son play a bigger part? Thankyou for all your books and many years of pleasure. Stephen Richards

Dear Sir First may I thank you for the years of pleasure that both my Wife and I have had reading all your books, yes that's all of them. We were wondering if you were ever going to finish the Starbuck series? Also is there any news of any new books this year? Once again many thanks for your novels. Regards Bob Nicholls

Submitted March 27, 2007

A

I do hope to get back to Starbuck before too long. The new book this year will be the fourth book of the Saxon stories, to be called Sword Song.

Q

Dear Bernard I'm a very big an of all your books, in particular the Sharpe series. I'm making a trip to Europe (spain, france & england) very soon & I'm hoping to visit some peninsular & Napoleonic battlefields / site / monuments along the way. Would you be so kind as you name some of your favourites? Kind regards Michael

Submitted March 27, 2007

A

Salamanca is wonderful, and the indispensable guide is Wellington's Peninsular War, Battles and Battlefields by Julian Paget (Leo Cooper, London, 1990 - updated since). There's was a lot of roadbuilding going on to the north of the Salamanca battlefield and I found the access difficult a few years ago, but if you follow signs to the village of Arapiles you can't go wrong, and Sir Julian Paget's guide gives you every site, details of how to get there, what to see and a useful narrative of every action. From there go east to Ciudad Rodrigo. Once there you have Almeida and Fuentes d'Onoro to explore. Don't miss Fort Conception (north of the battlefield). Have a wonderful trip!

Q

Love all the books esp the Arthur trilogy but any chance of an English Civil War series?? KRs CB

Submitted March 27, 2007

A

I've considered it, but it's not high on my list at the moment.

Q

I have really enjoyed reading the three books in the saxon stories and can not wait for the next instalment. Can you tell me when you anticipate the fourth book coming out and if you have a name for it yet? Thanks Clare Mayes

Mr. Cornwell, I am writing to thank you for the enjoyment I have gotten out of the Saxon Stories. I found the first book and ended up reading all three stories in a two week window. Excellent material! My questions were: How many stories do you plan in the series and, of course, when does the next one come out! I can't wait. Thank you again and I hope to hear from you. Sincerely, Mike

Hi I have completed the Sharpe series 3 times and have enjoyed many of your other books. You are a fantastic author and i have to admit you are my favourite of all time. I was just wondering when the next book will come along because I am suffering from withdrawal. Thanx A big fan, Shumel Rahman

Dear Mr Cornwell, I just want to say that I love your books, and especially the Arthur Books and Stonehenge. I have just finished reading the Saxon stories and was wondering when I can next get my 'fix' of Bernard Cornwell!!? I must admit that I haven't read the Sharpe books (I'm a girl, what can I say!) but would love to know what ?trilogy/period you are going to write about next (I'm an archaeologist, so I love the British period books) I look forward to hearing about your next topic, and when I can start stalking the bookshop! Very best wishes, Sandie Williams

Hello, how are you. I have just started reading the Sharpe books and i must say i love them. But my question relates to the Saxon stories. Is there going to be a release of a new book in this series later this year? Thanks so much! Todd Riley

Hi Bernard I have just finished reading The Lords of the North and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it along with the previous two Alfred based novels. I assume from the ending and the author's notes in the back of the book that Uhtred will appear in another book some time in the future...do you have any kind of time scale for this? Thank you for your time. Sarah

Submitted March 27, 2007

A

We hope to have the fourth book of the Saxon stories (working title Sword Song) in the stores by October of this year. I don't know yet how many books there will be in this series - I think perhaps seven? maybe eight?

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell I am thinking about writing an historical novel about one of our more infamous and colourful English Civil War regicides. I wanted to offer you the name and resources but I see from your website that you don't encourage new book ideas. Shame, you could have really got your teeth into him and saved me a lot of work! However, I have a worry about mixing fact and fiction on the page. Do you get problems from living descendants and brain-dead historians who complain about inaccuracies or does your historical notes chapter give you a legal/moral get-out? There are living relatives of my 'hero' whom I wouldn't want to upset but on the other hand I don't want the observance of historical accuracy to put a straitjacket on a rollicking good tale. Please put my mind at rest. David

Submitted March 23, 2007

A

If you have a good source that says a real historical character was a moron, then go ahead and stick the knife in! If you're writing real people then you must stick to the known facts . . . and if you don't know that much about them, then placate the relatives by making him/her into a good guy. No, I don't get problems! And relatives (descendants) won't give you problems if your portrait is accurate.

Q

Hi Bernard, I am currently carrying out a third year English dissertation on four books about King Alfred, one of them being the Pale Horseman. I was hoping that you would be able to shed some light on a couple of themes I am working on. Where as the other authors have given Alfred a chivalric manner, would you say that your Alfred is more Realpolitik? Secondly, would you say that Alfred chooses to use religion when he wants, and ignores paganism if it suits him (when his son gets healed by Iseult). I am sorry if this is too long and a bit random but any help you could give would be great. Kind Regards Robert

Submitted March 23, 2007

A

I made up the Iseult passage, so don't confuse my fiction with reality! I don't know if Alfred was chivalrous (the concept is a bit later than the 9th Century), but we do know he was extremely pious, scholarly and sick, which to my mind does not paint a picture of a warrior-king. He was forced into war and he conducted that war with a great deal of intelligence, because he was, plainly, one of the most intelligent men or women to rule in England (Elizabeth I was another). My own impression is that Alfred would never prefer paganism to Christianity, but we are in murky waters because undoubtedly a vast amount of pagan superstition lasted in Britain well into the 17th Century (see Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic) - and when his own son's life was at stake? But that was fiction, and had no basis in fact. And yes, he indulged in realpolitik a lot - mainly by bribing the Danes instead of fighting them, though he did fight. He was a realist, knowing how far his power would go, and working to increase his power (especially by the burh system).

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