Your Questions

Q

Any chance you will add any pictures to your image section of other battlefields and cities?
Doug Simpson

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

The main reason for not putting up pictures of the peninsular sites is that 1) they take up cyberspace and 2) there are plenty of pictures already available. Julian Paget's Wellington's Peninsular Wars and Ian Fletcher's Fields of Fire are two good sources available at libraries. Pictures of the Indian battlefields are much scarcer, which is why we show them.

Q

Do you have any upcoming plans for a Canadian or U.S. book tour? Kelly Dudgeon

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

Nothing's on the schedule yet, but keep an eye on the Diary page just in case.

Q

I just wanted to let you know that of all the authors I have read (and there have been many), you're one of the top two. I'd say which of your books is my favorite except I don't know that I could pick! I hope you do end up writing more Starbuck, though. I'd like to find out what ever happens to him (and the other characters, of course). Anyhow, your writing style is truly amazing; it's my dream to someday write somewhere near as good. Half the time I think you could write the stupidest plot ever and it would still be good (but please don't test that theory). How do you manage to make those somewhat scummy guys come out so lovable, though? That's something I really can't figure out. Jessie

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

There's an old story about Bunny Berrigan, the jazz trumpeter, who was allegedly asked how he could play so well when he was always drunk, "Because I practice drunk," he answered, which is by way of saying that scummy guys are lovable, if you see what I mean. I couldn't write a book about saints, they're too boring. Give me scummy guys.

Q

Canterbury Talk & Signing Tuesday 4 October 2005. We really did enjoy your talk. It was if you were addressing a small group of friends, despite the large gathering. As members of a Family History Society we all envied you that your family tree goes back so far. The question I would have liked to have asked you was: How do you feel about film makers altering your well thought out plots and characters? Tricia

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

They have to! They have different constraints. If I insisted that they changed nothing then nothing is what I would get, because they simply couldn't afford to shoot the books as I wrote them - it costs me nothing to conjure armies out of words, but it costs a small fortune to hire thousands of extras! And often, such as casting Pete Postlethwaite to play Hakeswill, they improve my creations immensely.

Q

Hi - just finished the Pale Horseman (or Dervel rides again, as my Dad calls it...) What always strikes me about all of your books is the celebration of being a warrior, or perhaps just the celebration of manhood... If you had your time again would you ever consider a soldiers life? Just to feel that battle song yourself perhaps? Do you feel that you've missed out in not living that life (I do - much more so when I read your books!) Also the (totally understandable) revulsion to organised religion. Too many wars fought over that. And finally the celebration of the Celts. Can one be too Irish?? I wish you well - you opened my eyes to a history or Britain I never imagined, and now actively persue. Look after yourself. Martin

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

I suppose I do celebrate warriors. The very first book I wrote carried an epigraph from Samuel Johnson - Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier. I wanted to be a soldier, but was born with truly lousy eyesight, so the recruiting sergeant offered me a prospect of the Pay Corps, which is a noble and necessary outfit, but it didn't quite match my youthful dreams, so here I am, scribbling instead!

Q

I have one comment and two questions. My comment is that I loved The Pale Horseman as much as I did The Last Kingdom which so many times isn't the case with second books in a series. My first question concerns the time period for the third book. Will it follow directly after The Pale Horseman leaves off or will it be moved forward in time. I guess I'm anxious for Ethelfleada to grow up and be the herione you said she would be. My second questions is why the West Saxons had no queens. You made a point of this in both novels and I'm curious. Does anyone know why? Again, I thank you for writing such exciting books. Ann Madonna

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

The first line of the next book reads - 'The dead and dying lay at the foot of the green hill.' Which is a clue that it begins at the same moment that The Pale Horseman ends.

I don't! Eventually they did - it just seems to be a curiousity.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell. May I start by saying how much I've enjoyed your books over the years, I've read all of your work with the exception of the Pale Horseman which I'm half way through. Do you have any plans to do a series of books based around the English civil war with maybe the hero being a Royalist and therefore on the losing side?? Many thanks, Jonathan

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

In a brief answer - no. Longer answer? I doubt it. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I have too many projects to finish (Sharpe, Uhtred, Starbuck, and folk asking for a follow-up to Gallows Thief) so I suspect it's unlikely. Mind you, I hate the puritans, so it would be fun . . . .

Q

Hello there, out of curiosity I thought I would ask: How early on in the writing process had you named King Callyn, and do I owe you a pint considering my earlier request? Or perhaps it was a coincidence and there is a more clear-cut naming in the works! That would be fantastic, many thanks in advance! Thank You for Uthred, he's the perfect antithesis to Derfel. Allyn Mills

Submitted October 14, 2005

A

I wish I could remember, but I can't. I don't even know where the name came from - probably one of my source books for the Arthur trilogy. My guess, for what it's worth, is that I needed a British name, scuttled over to the bookshelf, found one I liked and never gave it another thought. Wish I could be more helpful, alas!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell. Just finished reading The Last Kingdom, and was wondering whether there was any correlation between Derfel, of the Warlord series, and Uhtred. Also, it seems to be becoming a popular theme, a hero, set against his own people, with a distaste for christianity. Any particular reason? Ian Moir

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

None that I know of . . . I suspect Derfel is a much nicer man than Uhtred, but there are similarities. Both are pagans, both are 'dark ages' warriors, but Derfel is unswervingly loyal to Arthur while Uhtred really doesn't much like Alfred. I suppose the reason they're alike is that they're both written by me! I should be more creative . . .

Q

This is a bit free thinking but as you are an expert on both the Longbow and musket do you think that a 1000 English Long bowmen in their prime could have caused havoc at Waterloo as the Longbow was not eclipsed as a weapon until the the late 19th C? Geoff

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

1000 archers, with the skills and weapons of their Agincourt forebears, could have destroyed a French division at Waterloo. The longbow had a greater range than a musket, was far more accurate, and had a rate of fire ten times as fast. The trouble was that it took at least ten years to train an archer, and there were no bowmen available. Wellington actually enquired about raising a corps of longbowmen, but was told the skill had been lost - alas.