Your Questions

Greatly enjoyed the television series based on Sharpe's adventures. I just completed my first reading of one your books, "Sharpes Fortress" and the brutality of the age is more starkley depicted than in the tely sequence, then that was a brutal age. As I am now addicted I will have to read through the entire series. One question. I have just completed a Patricia Cornwell novel. As Cornwell is not that common a name, I wonder is her skill at writting inherited or is she no relation? Yours truly J. Estrin

Dear Mr Cornwell, Where can I read your advice for new writers page? Kieran

hello I was wondering if you could give me some help with a book I'm writing? It's a complete fiction as the time and places I'm writing about are all made up. It's set in medieval times and has traces of modern and acient history in it. It is about a young officer in the kings army that has invaded the territory of a neighbour and it ends at the final battle of the short campaign. Could you please give me any tips on writing it. thankyou. ps this is for my enjoyment so it won't be on the shelves. Chis

Hello,Mr.Cornwell!I belong to the great legion of the Sharpe's brazilian readers.I would like to thank you for the great chance to learn about world and british history,all that reading your books.I don't know how the translation system works,but while all the Sharpe books have been released in UK and USA,we have just ''Sharpe's Tiger'' and ''Sharpe's Triumph'' translated to portuguese here in Brazil.In the name of your brazilian fans,I would appreciate if we had the other Sharpe's books at the hand of those who do not speak the english language,but portuguese.Few people have the chance to learn the english language here in Brazil,and happily,I belong to the minority who dominates the idiom.But Mr.Cornwell,is there a Sharpe's movie project?It could be great to see Dick Sharpe not only on the TV,but at the motion pictures too.Thanks for read me,sir.Bye

I have enjoyed reading the Shapre series of books and find them extremely interesting. I am reading Sharpe's Regiment at the moment and was wondering if you are aware that the poem " Rule Britania" wasn't put to music until 1840 ish. I know that sometimes you have to mix fact with fiction and this in no way detracts from the enjoyment of the book. I was just curious to know if this was a slip up or a bit of artistic lisence? yours, jm macgregor

Dear Mr Cornwell, I have just finished the Warlord books and found them very interesting. There is one thing that troubles me, are the similarites between Jesus and Mithras true? Yours Dan

Hi...My name is Aaron, and I am from Canada. I will start by saying I absolutely LOVE your books! The way you write and everything, the way things like scenery and surroundings are described is amazing to me. So far, I think my favourite series is the Warlord Chronicles. The Sharpe and Grail Quest are tied with a close second. Though this new series is amazing! I am loving it so far, and that is actually what I am writing for mainly. I am inquiring as to when the paperback form of The Pale Horseman is available in Canada. It would be awesome to find this out, and once again...I love your work! Especially the historical notes at the end! I love the Medieval/Dark Ages part in History. Thank you so much for helping it come alive. Aaron

After the excitement of reading your earlier book, 'The Last Kingdom' I eagerly awaited its sequel 'The Pale Horseman', however to my dismay I could find no release date for the paperback version, any help there????? Mark Styles

Dear Bernard, I heard somewhere that 100 longbowmen could beat 100 infantrymen equipped muskets. Do you know if this is true and, if so, would riflemen do any better? Thanks, David

I have just finished reading Sharpe's Escape and thought it was excellent. When will you be finishing another Sharpe book? Was that the last Sharpe book you have written? Thanks for writing the Sharpe books, they have kept me up for hours. Very much looking forward to your next Sharpe book.
Alex Lamond

Mr. Cornwell, A Few More Questions.... 1. Have you given any thoughts to creating a series from Patrick Lassan's adventures in the Crimean War? You could also have Sharpe appear in his golden years...maybe we could discover his fate? 2. I've read that you won't be setting anymore stories after Sharpe's Devil-But I was reading Forester's Lieutenant Hornblower recently- and towards the end Hornblower is promoted to commander for a brave act- but a lull in the wars prematurely ends his career so we find him living in a very spartan lodging house, unable to pay the rent and hustling more fortunate officers in games of whist until the war ramps up again. There was something very endearing about showing how Hornblower survived away from the war and it made me wonder what Sharpe would do in the same situation-though I suspect playing whist is not his style! It seems like you were going in this direction in the short story Sharpe's Ransom- any plans to explore it further? 3. I have read The Face of Battle, based upon your recommendation, until finally it is dog-eared and coming apart in my hands. I closely study many of the battle scenes in your books as a model for my own novel(s)- can you tell me a bit more about how I can write better battle-scenes? I know you are somewhat of a natural- but are there any touchstones or markers along the way in the writing process that make you realize you are onto something? 4. Finally, I think your greatest strength as a writer is the skill with which you create a scene and let the reader inhabit that scene in a very organic way. Other writers I read seem to skim over what should be the heart of a scene or weight it down with clunky exposition. What do you think are the essential elements to keep in mind when crafting a scene? Thanks again for your time and generosity R. Kulb