Your Questions

Hi Bernard firstly, Love your books.Two questions :Do you have any plans in the near future to visit Ireland for any book signings? I read that you lived in Ireland for a while wereabouts? Keep up the great work. Brian Connolly

We (my husband and I) are fascinated by the amount of research that must go into your books. Do you hire researchers? Do you do all the research yourself? Your memory must be incredible. Thanks so much--we learn LOTS of history from your books. Deborah Lincoln

Good day to you Sir, Just wanted to say Thank you for many years of enjoyable reading and for countless hours on the internet researching background info to your books(I like to know what´s going on around the characters,most of all Richard Sharpe(I am also a member of the S.A.S)).I have just noticed in the online shop Amazon that they have a new Sharpe book for pre-ordering "Sharpe´s Fury" but I see no mention of this book on your website.I would be grateful for an answer to this puzzler. Thank very much, yours,a constant reader. Anthony Morgan Lambert

Mr. Cornwell, I just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks for writing Pale Horseman- the character of Uhtred is coming along nicely- He reminds me of a Saxon Achilles wouldn't you say? I also find him to be a fascinating dark-mirror image of Derfel from the Arthur books-is that at all intentional?

I also wanted to say that since I last wrote I have completed the second and (I believe) final draft of my novel and I'm now about to embark upon the long soul-crushing process of finding a literary agent- but I couldn't have got this far if not for your inspiration and words of advice. I wanted to sincerely thank you for everything. I also had a few more questions... 1. I noticed that in your later novels your chapters are shorter-Pale Horseman had only 13 I believe. Yet your earlier books sometimes have 20-25 chapters. Is this intentional? How do you think chapter length draws in or captures the reader? How has your thinking on this changed over the years? Do you give any thought to it at all or do you just let the story take you wherever it will?

2. Recently, in a used bookstore, I discovered an old historical adventure novel from the 60's titled 'In The Company of Eagles' written by an author named Ernest K.Gann. It's a WW 1 era story about a French fighter pilot and his German nemesis dueling with biplanes in the skies. It was really good. Very "Red Baron". I Googled the author to discover he was actually a WW2 fighter pilot. His other books have titles like "Fate Is The Hunter","Blaze of Noon" and "Island In The Sky". Have you ever read any of his work? If so what are your thoughts? If you haven't heard of him, I humbly suggest seeking out his work.

3. After reading Your Starbuck sequence I went back and read 'The Killer Angels' by Michael Shaara. I rarely read about the Civil War because I find the time period a tedious-but with Starbuck I made an exception. I wanted to ask, since 'Killer Angels' is the only other well-written Civil War-era book worth reading, did Shaara influence your work at all? Not just on Starbuck but with military adventure writing in general?

4. I think your website is the best designed, most accessible author site around- but is there any way you could post more of your interviews, articles, forwards, SAS bulletins, book reviews, etc...? It's always a pain tracking this stuff down if you live outside the U. K.

5. I've noticed that Sharpe actually fought in France on only a few occasions- The very end of Sharpe's Regiment and again in Sharpe's Siege-which you've said was an entirely fictional action. Have you ever considered marching him into the battles of Brienne, Laon, Arcis-sur-Aube, La Fere-Champenoise, or Montmartre? Those last death rattles of Napoleon's Grand Army would seem to be an ideal place to tell more stories without having to go all the way back to the Peninsula or Austerlitz. Anyway, thanks again for your time and generosity. R. Kulb

After 60 years of reading I found Sharpy! I now have my six adult children their partners and children as confirmed fans of yours.I particularly like the historical settings of the novels.I got the DVD's from e-bay.To read that you have added to the series and that there will be other movies is grand news indeed.But I live in Queensland Australia so when will the movies be on TV here? Thanks for all the wonderful hours of reading! Jan Denman

Dear Mr Cornwall After enjoying a number of your books, Gallows Thief, The Grail Quest series and more recently The Last Kingdom, you have fired my interest in English history. Would you give me some advice on reading material which will tell me who ruled when,who suceeded who and what they each achieved. Nothing too exhaustive, (reading for me is so much more about escapism than anything else,)basic historical facts . I loved your character Thomas of Hookton and learning about the bow he would have used and the significance of the two finger salute!! I would so love to see the series made into a movie. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival in my mailbox of The Pale Horseman, thank you for the great reads! Kind regards...Rebecca, Perth, Australia

I have just completed The Pale Horsemen. What can I say? Once again you have blown me away!! I eagerly await the last instalment. However I have just one reservation about reading the last Uhtred book. Like Arthur and Derfel, Nathaniel Starbuck and Thomas of Hookton, I know now that I will miss Uhtred as much as I have missed all the others when I turn that last page. Sure my life is much better for having met them and I thank you for that. IF you could find a story to continue one of these great characters, who would it be? Which one do you miss the most? Thank you for all you do!!

Hi Mr. Cornwell. Is there any period of history that you have not yet written on but would genuinely like to some day? I know you want to keep your secrets so some other author doesn't beat you to the punch. So I am only asking about broad generalities (e.g., the Thirty Years War, the Hussite Wars, etc.). Alan Kempner

Good afternoon I would be really grateful if you could tell me if you have heard of a book called, "Cornwell to the Colonies". Many thanks, Veronica

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I'm from Brazil and first started to read your books in 2002, when The Winter King was trasnlated to portuguese. Since then I have read all your books here published (The Arthur Books, the Grail Quest, "Gallows Thief" and now the Sharpe series) and I must say that it's been a pleasure to read them. There is only one thing I would like to ask: Do you have any plans on coming to Brazil? Well, that's all, I guess, thanks for your atention and most important, thanks for your great books!
Gilberto