Your Questions

Q

Hi Bernard. I have read and re-read most of your books after initially getting hooked on The Winter King whilst in hospital. Im looking forward to (hopefully) more adventures of Uhtred in the latest series. Have you ever considered writing about the Robin Hood myth/legend or that era? As the Arthur stories were also based on a myth/legend, I thought that it would be interesting to have the "Cornwell Touch" on this story. Keep up the good work. Matt

Hi, I just want to congratuate you on Lords of the North, another good read, and your OBE, well deserved. Some points. Will there be a Sharpe book set after Devil? Perhaps a Gallow's Thief styled Adventure? Or an India return like Sharpe's Challenge?

Will there be a sequel to Gallow's Thief? There seems to be a new Robin Hood tv series every twenty years (this time omitting Friar Tuck!), would you be interested in doing a shot at him (just one book, not a series) and which version would you do, the traditional King Richard setting? Or the Lancastrian Rebellion setting? Which I do not remember any film or book set. It has the advantage of a fresh take on the legend, perhaps the most horrifying murder of an English monarch, or any king and an opportunity to put background to the Vexille family. If Sharpe came back to tv in twenty years, they could do the India, Trafagar and Denmark stories before doing an extended Peninsula series. More episodes to watch! Thanks for all the books. Adrian

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

I honestly don't know - which is frustrating for you, but at least has the virtue of honesty. I'll keep on chronologically at the moment and see what happens when I get back to the war's end.

A sequel to Gallows Thief is a possibility, but not high on my list at the moment.

It's not in my plans, though I admit I've thought about Robin Hood a few times . . . so the answer is I don't know, but I wouldn't bet on it, at least not in the immediate future.

Q

Hi, I just thought I'd say that with all the terrible epic films that have come out over the last few years (Troy, Alexander etc.) I think it really is time for a better saga or even a trilogy. I love all your books but especially your Warlord Chronicles Trilogy and think they would make a fantastic screenplay. Could you please let me know if there are any plans for such a project? Regards, Tom

I just finished your Warlord Trilogy about Arthur. Great stuff! Couldn't put them down and zipped through all three in about a week and a half. I was curious about something. In the last book, Arthur compares Mithras' birth and death mythology with that of Christ where it seems the Christians, as they so often did, once again did a great deal of borrowing for their piece-meal religion. I have also heard that Mithras' birthdate was December 25. Anyway, I was curious about your source material on the Mithras/Christ birth-death connections. Also I am a screenwriter...The Fly, Dragonheart, the Ian Richardson Sherlock Holmes, among other things. Though I suspect the rights to a terrfic series like this have been snapped up, I can't help but think that the trilogy would make a great limited series along the lines of a DEADWOOD or ROME. Charles Edward Pogue

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

Thanks for that! I now make my usual weasellish disclaimer, which is that I never keep references to my sources in my notes, which is hugely frustrating when kind folk like you ask me questions . . . . but when I'm researching I jot down what interests me and, because I'm not an academic, I don't need to keep track of sources etc. It's very unprofessional, I'm sure, but effective. And I wrote those books so long ago that I've forgotten most of my source books (and my notes are all in storage). But there are undoubtedly parallels between Mithraism and Christianity . . . I seem to remember that Christians probably 'borrowed' Mithras's birthdate some time in the 3rd or 4th century? If I were writing the books now I'd probably begin by going to Mithraism in Wikipedia and getting the latest references . . . ?? I have a suspicion that the option on the series has lapsed. Too many Arthurian films have gone kaput lately, so I suspect it's out of fashion. But thanks anyway!

Q

I should have all the Sharpe books and have read them frequently.The only one I appear to have mislaid is Sharpe's Regiment, which I will replace.However,I do not think it is Sharpe's Regiment, unless I am doing something stupid, there is one story I cannot find. It covers holding an old watchtower against the French, Spies using a newspaper and a pin to send messages, and Sharpe finding sunken boats with which to take a regiment across a river.
Tony Turner

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

The old watchtower story is almost certainly Sharpe's Skirmish - a short story. The newspaper and pins came from Sharpe's Prey, and the crossing of the river is Sharpe's Havoc.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell; I was wondering if any of the newer Richard Sharpe novels were ever going to be produced as motion pictures? I have read every Richard Sharpe novel and I have all but one of the current motion pictures. I must confess that I was disappointed in some of the movies because they deviated from the story line somewhat. Oh well, I guess thats Hollywood. I hope that sometime soon you come to the Indianapolis Metropolitan area because I would be honored to meet you. My sincere thanks for many hours of enjoyment, Mike Wilding

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

We'll keep our fingers crossed...

Q

Dear Bernard Many thanks for your reply dated 16th August, I was delighted to read theres a good chance to conclude Starbuck, and even more so getting a response back from you. Just wondering, with the 100th year anniversary of the First World War looming ever closer have you ever contemplated doing a series of books relating to that time? Would you ever consider doing just a book on each year of the war depicting a different character from nationalities that took part (German, French, British subject, Commonwealth subject, etc)? By doing a different personality and nationality it may give you the opportunity to kill them off, (not that I would necessarily want you too) but something youve not done to the main character before. I recently had the opportunity to visit the battlefields of Verdun, the Somme and Ypres including the surrounding areas associated with those battles, something Ive wanted to do for a while and I found it quite amazing, hence the reason for my original post of what inspiration you find visiting sites you write about. Cheers Neil

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

I've never been tempted by the First World War and, despite your kind encouragement, I'm still not tempted! Sorry about that, but I think my interest in military history fiction ends more or less with Waterloo.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwall, This is not the first time I've written but it would be remiss of me not to thank you again for the reading pleasure your books have given me. I am nearing the end of Sharpe's exploits (for the time being, though I look forward to Sharpe's Fury) and saw that a box set of the television series is available in the US and the UK (via Amazon). Although I usually baulk at buying such adaptations (preferring the books to live on in my imagination untarnished by the visual interpretations of others), I have heard so many good things about the series I went looking for it. Unfortunately, I cannot find it on sale in Australia. I have spent some time searching the questions on your website and hope my question is not a repeat but are you able to advise whether the series is available in an Australian DVD regional format and, if so, where? Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer. Kind regards, David Talintyre. Sydney, Australia.

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

The latest news on the availability of the Sharpe films in Australia comes from The Sharpe Appreciation Society (see the link to their website on the Sharpe books page):

Granada Media have recently finalised a deal in Australia for the first 14 Sharpe films on DVD. These will soon be available for purchase through www.timelife.com.au.
.

Q

The bbc is coming up with a new movie called "Sharpes Challenge".I don't see the book listed anywhere? Jim Guidry

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

There is no novel for 'Sharpe's Challenge' - although the film is loosely based on Sharpe's Tiger and Sharpe's Fortress. However, there is a very good book called Sharpe Cut by Linda Blandford that describes the filming of 'Sharpe's Challenge' and gives an inside view of all the films. For more information about this book click on the 'Sharpe's Challenge' link found on the home page of this website.

Q

I know it has been asked and answered, but you see, I have a vested interest in the fate of Sharpe's daughter. I have only seen the films, but the sound of Sean Bean's voice saying my name is something I treasure. Any chance that I will hear it again someday? Antonia Sheller

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

I think it's possible he might see her again some day...

Q

Hello, I am a big fan of the Sharp Books. I am a part-time college student taking a coures call Modern Epic Fantasy. My course requires that I do a review of a book that is relevent to the course. I have choosen your epic adventure "The Last Kingdom." The review should be an analysis of literatry value, content, style and factual warrant... I would like to ask a few questions about your book and what your motivation was to choose this era and characters moral dilemas.

1. Who would you say influenced you most to write the style of books that you do?

2. Beyond the commercial success of your books how do you hope your works will be remebered/evaluated as Epics or historical fiction ...?

3. What inspired you to write the Saxon Stories?

In Redcoat Sam Gilpin has a value conflict that causes him to switch sides; In the Last Kingdom Uthred is torn between allegiance to both sides. 4. Do you intially plan a moral conflict or does it naturally develop with the character/story?

Both of the primary authors in this course Tolkien and Terry Brooks work hard at giving each name and event a image/meaning that is not verbalized. They both follow the Epic styles of Roland and Beowulf who raise the question of Morales and Values. 5. The Arthur Books, Grail Quest and Stonehenge all had the same feel. Were they influenced by the Medieval Epics and did you intend the "Last Kingdom" follow this idea?
Steve Fernaays

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

1) Haven't a clue. I started with the Sharpe series, which was plainly under the influence of C.S. Forester, but I don't think Forester had much influence on, say, the Arthurian trilogy. I don't think there was a direct influence on the non-Sharpe books - like most writers I suspect I write the sort of books I'd like to read. Not a very helpful answer!

2) I never think about how I'll be remembered! I'll be dead, so it won't matter to me. But I certainly never think of myself as writing epics . . so I guess the the answer is that I'm a historical novelist pure and simple.

3) The root of the stories goes back to my days at university when I was introduced to Old English poetry and discovered a love for it, and from that sprang an interest in the Saxon period which I've kept up for the forty years since. The immediate spur for the series was the discovery of my natural father (very late in my life to find him, but there you go) and learning that we were descended from a man called Uhtred who had been lord of Bebbanburg, and I wondered how a solidly Saxon family (for such they were) had managed to hold onto their lands through the Danish invasions. The answer to that question is fictional, of course, but the question itself was the immediate spur to writing the new series. As to the conflict of loyalties, it just seemed to me that the Danes would not be understandable unless Uhtred had an affection for them - one of the constraints of writing in the first person. If I'd written in the third person then I could have tackled them differently.

4) Never! Don't plan anything! I just start the book and see what happens. I don't know any other way. But even in starting you plunge the main character into almost immediate conflict - whether moral or not. I'm just starting the new Uhtred and the poor sod has been taken to the mountaintop and offered the kingdoms of the world, but I don't see anything very moral in his reaction. Actually he'd like to take what's offered, but his reasons for rejecting it are, in the end, entirely self serving and trivial. But then, he is my ancestor, and genes will out.

5) Gosh! they do? Wow! I'm not that clever. I just tell a story and, to be honest, never think about unverbalised meanings. I doubt very much that I write under the influence of mediaeval epics because I'm not a great reader of them. All I'm trying to do is to entertain by telling a story, nothing else. Truly.

Q

Hi Bernard. I'm a huge fan, and I'm in the midst of reading the Sharpe series (not the first time read, but the first time in chronological order). The timing of the release of Sharpe's Fury is well timed, or I am, as I just finished Gold and am moving on to Escape. I've noticed a couple of anomalies, but you've been doing amazingly well, considering how much you jump back and forth in time.

My first question is - in Sharpe's Rifles, a rifleman named Cooper dies while trying to rescue the mule during the ambush. Is this the same rifleman Cooper who appears in the movies, and later books? (Oh, that's a Sharpie (trekkie equivalent) question, isn't it? Sorry.)

My second question is regarding the Battle of Vimeiro. You refer to it several times in Eagle and Gold. I'm wondering if you will be covering that battle in the years to come? My curiosity is tweaked. Thanks, Tamara

Submitted August 25, 2006

A

I suppose the script-writer might have taken the name from Sharpe's Rifles? Dunno. I guess they're the same!

Vimerio/Rolica are not in my plans at the moment, but it's possible they'll feature in one or more short stories some time in the future.