Your Questions

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I'd just like to say that, after reading some of your comments on this site, I think that a lot of your personality comes out in Uhtred. Through the genetic link, do you think? My mother's family are from Newcastle - my mum named our house " Northumbria". It seemed a bit odd, seeing as we lived outside of Glasgow... I like to think we have a lot of Danish in our blood. All four daughters have red hair. And the VIking temperament when annoyed! I can't wait to read what happens next. Fortunately, I have a sister who is an editor at HarperCOllins in London, so she can smuggle me the next installment of Uhtred's adventures before it is released in the U.S. Thank you for all your wonderful stories. Fionna

Submitted March 23, 2007

A

A good mix! You're right, of course, that there's a huge amount of viking blood in Northumbria - and remember, Northumbria once extended into what is now lowland Scotland, so maybe your mother is just staking an ancient claim!

Q

Mr. Cornwell, I have very much enjoyed reading your books. So much so that I am running out of material! Are there any other authors whose works you personally enjoy. I have read lots of naval fiction, and was hoping to find more land based narratives. thanks, Andrew

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

There are not nearly as many land-based narratives as seaborne stories . . . . so I'm pretty bereft of ideas. Allan Mallinson has a series running, but that mostly takes place after Waterloo (no reason not to try it!)

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell: I have read the book Redcoat. I was wanting to know if there was a movie made in reference to this book? I seem to get a lot more out of a book if I can read the book then watch the movie. Dawn Henry

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

There is no film of my book Redcoat.

Q

dear Sir, why did so many countries have blue uniforms? French, Portuguese, Danish... and what colour was the infantry tunics of the KGL on the whole? thankyou greatly for your time and I love your books! Chris G

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

That's an interesting question which I've never really thought about! I suspect the answer has a lot to do with the available dyeing techniques of the period . . . . maybe blue dye was cheap? I also suspect the range of primary colours was probably restricted . . . doubtless some sophisticated dyes were available, but were probably too expensive to use on uniforms. All of that is supposition! KGL infantry tunics were red - basically the same red as the British infantry (a sensible idea; if they'd worn some other colour they could easily be mistaken for an enemy unit in the confusion of battle).

Q

Hey--Long time fan and all that jazz--what I REALLY wanted to write to you about is to ask whether you have seen the recent BBC mini-series Robin Hood with Jonas Armstrong? If you haven't then at least watch one episode sometime. Richard Armitage, the actor playing Guy of Gisbourne, is like Richard Sharpe right off the page. He's tall and dark and he has the smirk and the bellow and...I mean, I can't watch him without thinking, hey look, it's Richard Sharpe! How I wish you could do films with him! Well, that's all for now--keep up the good work!~April

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

Sounds great! I promise to take a look. Thank you!

Q

We are US Air Force stationed at RAF Lakenheath. I started reading the Sharpe books from the library on base (they had 3). Since then I have managed to collect all of them through Tesco and Ebay. I love the Sharpe series like so many others. However, I was really disappointed when Sharpe and Fredrickson split up over a woman (which I know happens to guys often in real life)--but still disappointed (maybe because I am a girl and have a romantic side). I was also disappointed that Fredrickson ended up in Canada instead of Waterloo--I know it might have been awkward but if Fredrickson had managed to find a new woman--maybe he could then find a way to forgive Sharpe--I hope in the future--Sharpe and Fredrickson can find a way to be hard and fast friends again--I think Fredirickson deserves a good woman (maybe an Indian since he's in Canada). How do you feel about their split?
Janice Lewis

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

That was rough, I agree, but I never intended it to happen! Honest! I introduced Lucille for Frederickson, and Sharpe just fell for her. That can happen when you're writing a book - the characters start doing what they want instead of what I want - and I went with it. I feel sorry for Sweet William, but there is yet time to write a reconciliation.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, In Sharpe's Enemy you describe a delicious Christmas feast prepared by a captured French Cook. I recall reading your recommendation of a wonderful French Cookbook that was an inspiration for your fictitious meal. I tried to find the name of that book and its author/chef but I could not. Would you please repeat the information? Thank You kindly - "Hungry in Marietta"

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

I used Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking. Still do . . . . it's a terrific cookbook and, being Elizabeth David, a good read at the same time.

Q

Bernard. I note in your latest replies that you have researched MacBeth. Have you read Nigel Tranter's book on him? For your readers interested in Scottish history, I strongly recommend Tranter who has covered Scottish history from the time of Kenneth (I think he was the first) right through mediaeval times and beyond. The books carry the notation that Tranter's books are the only way many Scots have actually learned their own history.

Separately, what's next on your list? You've told some of us it's too early to say. Is that because you don't know or it's too early to tell us? Chris

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

I read Tranter a long time ago - but don't recall Macbeth, so perhaps I missed that one. Interestingly, Macbeth seems to have been a reasonably good guy (well, not outrageously bad), and certainly not the blood-soaked horror that Shakespeare depicted - but Shakespeare had a very corrupted source for his history and, anyway, Can Do No Wrong.

Next is the fourth book of the Saxon stories, with the working title of Sword Song (although that could change prior to publication). Beyond that....it's too early to say.

Q

Hullo Bernard! O.K. Straight in!...Where did you come up with the names of local's (I mean locations,..towns, Hamlets, Villages..etc.etec.) in your Saxon and Warlord Series?....are they inventions (obviously not the more famous ones), are they near spelling of existing places?...quite curious about that..I write and don't want to plagiarise your place-names but if they're actually real place names...well then full ahead!.... Jimmy

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

They're not inventions, so full steam ahead! My main source was always the Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names, to which I've recently added the Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names. The Cambridge is much newer and takes advantage of recent scholarship, but it's also horribly expensive and, frankly, the older Oxford is 98% reliable. What is NOT reliable is the spelling of the names - sometimes a place is spelt two ways in two different documents of the same period. But the names are there, and anyone can use them!

Q

Hello Mr.Cornwell, in your Sharpe books you describe ran falling down and then the muskets and rifles not being able to fire because the flints go out. I thought the flint on the back of a gun had a the metal piece at the end of it. Please correct me if I am wrong. Luke

Submitted March 19, 2007

A

Rain wouldn't affect the flint, which is the scrap of stone held in the jaws of the lock and which, when it strikes the frizzen, produces the spark which ignites the powder in the pan. But heavy rain would affect the powder. The powder was covered until the last second - the fall of the flint snaps open the cover, but even so the powder would have got wet when the gun was being loaded. As Cromwell said - keep your powder dry!