Your Questions

Hello Mr. Cornwell -- I have a question -- but first wish to thank you for the many, many hours of pleasure your books have given me. I have just finished THE PALE HORSEMAN (bought from Amazon.uk so I could get it quicker!) and eagerly await the next Uhtred novel. Thank you for continuing to turn out your excellent tales! Onward! My question relates to HERETIC. I'm an avid wargamer -- primarily in 28mm (some 15mm). In reading HERETIC I recognized an excellent scenario for a great skirmish game utilizing a small garrisoned keep and village and routiers. I've set myself on a longer-term project to model a suitable playing field and the opposing forces before having a go at it with the members of my gaming club. I know that there is no real-world Castillon d'Arbizon -- but I wondered if you had based the keep/village on an actual place? Or, barring that, if you had any further description of the size of the village and keep? I know this is nitpicky and I could just approximate based on your many descriptions of the setting within the book -- but I'd love to get as close to your vision as possible -- if possible. Thanks for any illumination you can provide -- if this falls outside the scope of your interest or time, please don't worry. Best to you and look forward to many, many more years of Bernard Cornwell tales to come! Regards, Tony Reidy

Dear Mr Cornwell, When do you plan to have Sharpe take revenge on Captain Murray (the man who had Sharpe flogged in Sharpe's Tiger)? It would be nice to know what you have planned for him in the future. Sincerely, James

Greetings from Portugal, Mister Cornwell. The main porpose of this e-mail, is to thank, and to congratulate you, for writing my favourite books of all time, the Warlord Chronicles. I never thought it could be possible to get so involved in a story, or even developing feelings for characters who don't even exist! It also elucidated me in some History facts, that I did not know. At the present time, I am taking the History Course in University, and I advise everyone I can, to buy and read your books. The question I would like to do, is somewhat unfair, and probably does not have an answer, but, can't blame me for try: Which one of your books/series you enjoyed more writing, and/or reading? Thank you, and best wishes to you and your family, Mister Cornwell.
Duarte Alves

Bernard, I am a history teacher at a prep school in Worcester, and as an unashamed fan of your fiction,as well as the likes of Stockwin, Mallinson and O'brien, frequently recommend your books to the older children to enthuse them in the subject. in fact the school library contains all of your books, and they have become extremely popular. the children have thus come up to me demanding to know where you are going to strike next (chronologically speaking), and whether there are any plans for a properly budgeted movie of any of your books? I think that we would all like to see a properly realized Napoleonic or medieval battle on the big screen. Many thanks, Andy Collins

Please please please could you write another grail quest book?! Myself and my father must have read Harlequin, Vagabond and Heretic a many number of times. The stories are entertaing to say the least!! The fans cry for the return of Thomas!!! Please??? Tim Harris

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I was sorry to hear that you have been in poor health recently. I hope you're recovering well and that you stay healthy. It's been a while since I last emailed you and I've got a lot of questions. 1. Will you be doing a US book tour for The Pale Horseman and if so do you plan on coming back to the Bailey's Crossroads Borders or anywhere else in the Northern VA or DC area? I had such a great time at your talk and signing in February and I hope you can come back. 2.Will The Red Ship be released next year in the US as well or will us Yanks have to wait until 2007? 3. This is a really trivial, nitpicking question but which cheek is Sharpe's scar on? It jumps from side to side in certain books. 4. I read on another website that your adopted name was Bernard Wiggins is this the reason for Derfel's Saxon name Wigga? 5. Have you read any of Andy McNab's books? I would never have found them if I hadn't seen his first thriller recommended on the Reading Club page of your site. I recently read his autobiography Immediate Action and was surprised at how similar his early military career is to Sharpe's. He was also an orphan in London, joined the Army at 16, and trained at Shorncliffe and served in the Royal Green Jackets before he passed selection for the SAS. 6. I'm now 17 and have been reading your books since I was 15 and I was wondering if you hear from many other young fans of your books? Thank you very much for taking the time to answer questions from your readers I don't know of many other authors who do. I can't wait to read The Pale Horseman and the rest of Uhtred's saga. Keep up the great work! James

I enjoyed your book "The Last Kingdom" because I read all I can find on medieval England. I'm doing historical fiction for older kids about the Danelaw in 1013. Books like yours renew my press to finish mine. I'm wondering if much, particularly about warfare, had changed between your time period and mine? Have you written any books about Sweyn Forkbeard or Canute? I've heard Canute referred to as "the great" but your assertion that only Alfred bore that title is bothering me. Thanks for taking time to answer. Ruth Lawler Kasilof, Alaska : )

Mr Cornwell, I am just finishing up Excalibur and have enjoyed the Warlord Chronicles very much. I have a couple of questions regarding the treatment of women. With regards to adultery, would the woman really be "burnt?" Seems rather puritanical. Did you research this? I would imagine that there surived written laws from the "Welsh" from the time. Also, weren't there Celtic queens, Boudicca & Cartimandua? Seems that a people who would allow a woman to rule them would treat them in a more civil manner. Perhaps I am wishing that my Welsh & Irish ancestors weren't so barbaric. Thank you. ps-I am a lifelong Philadelphian, and I thought Redcoat was outstanding. Actually learned of the Crooked Billet! It's amazing what they do not teach in history class. Lawrence Pembroke

Dear Bernard, After reading that the next Sharpe will be at Barrossa I had to ask which attack Sharpe will be facing and whether he finally finds out about Pumphery's murder of Astrid that's kind of been left hanging. I also wondered how many more books do you see doing with Sharpe and after Barrossa will Albuera be on the cards??? And in regards to the Hundered Years War series you have written about the early years do you think you will write about the final years and the battles say against Joan of Arc or the battle of Frombiy (Very bad spelling I know) from the English perspective. How did the French who got decimated by battles like Crecy and Agincourt manage to win battles against the Long Bow?? Anyway cannot wait till the next book. Regards Geraint P.S Have you ever been tempted to write about Richard the LionHeart and his battles with Saladin in the Crusades???

Hello, I am french and discovered your work by pure chance, through "l'affaire du tableau", (would that be "gallows thief" ?), which seems to be one of the very few among your books to be translated in my country. I think the Arthur series also has been translated, though I never saw it in bookshops. To be honest, your very name seems to be quite unknown, and -having just swallowed the three "harlequin" almost in one gulp- I keep wondering why. I can't believe the only reason for this non interest is because your heroes are anglo-saxon... I mean, CS Forester's captain Hornblower has had his success, and speaking of the middle ages the "pillars of earth", by Ken Follet, is doing well in France too... I have thoroughly enjoyed these XIVe century's adventures of yours, specially because of the many small details that don't often show in such books, such as how archers keep their arrows in a bag, etc. The only reproach I would venture to make is about french names, especially towns names, which to a french eye, or ear, seem sometimes ill chosen. I mean that Berat doesn't sound too much like a south western town, while Béziers is, and was at the time, one of the important real towns of the area. Not a tiny hamlet in Picardy ! even Astarac does not sound really convincing (maybe Estarac would do best), and I am midly convinced at the possibility of a low born girl named Geneviève at the time. I may be wrong but to me that name would probably be more upper class... But these are really very small détails indeed, and the bottom of it is that I really think it would be great to publish these books in french ! As for me, I stilla have to discover your other series, and that is a thrilling perspective ! Sophie Bogrow