Your Questions

Q

In 'The Last Kingdom' you set the fate of Edmund in an Abbey/Monastery in DISS. I live in Diss and had never heard of Abbey, until a local Historian reported "Richard Hopgood said his father talked about an abbey that had been somewhere at the junction of Mount St and Sunneyside."! What was your source or am I confusing fact and fiction. Needless to say I am a Cornwell fan. Iain Houghton

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

There are a number of versions of Saint Edmund's death, none of them particularly reliable, but I'm fairly sure that one of them mentions Diss as a possible site of his martyrdom. I fear I can't lay my hands on the reference directly, but I don't think I made it up (I mean, why choose Diss? Nice place and all that, but why?). Lots of monasteries vanished in the late Ninth Century - trashed by the Danes - and because most weren't built of stone they sank into oblivion. I guess that happened to yours?

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I was reading Stonehenge and recognized a quote that was also used in The Arthur books, "fate is inexorable" was this by coincidence, or is it just something you like to use? Thanks Ian

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

I like it so much that it's used in all the Saxon novels too - where it truly belongs because it's a quote from an Old English poem.

Q

Am a big fan of both books and tv series. However, couldn't help noticing the tv series cut out large parts of the books (especially in "Gold"). Out of interest,were there any parts or characters from the books that you feel particularly regretful were left out? Max

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

Gold was an odd one - I think they left the whole book out, and I do regret that, but on the whole I think they did a terrific job and I wish them well with the new films.

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.

Q

hi Bernard, i wanted to congratulate you on another great book in the pale horseman, and also the warlord chronicles which i finally got round to reading. i wondered if you could answer me two questions. 1, I have read all of your books on this website, and the three that you wrote as Susannah Kells, are there any more books out there? 2, When will your next book be on sale in the UK, and what will it be about. Will it feature Sharpe, or do you have a new series in mind?
Neil

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

1) If you have read all the books listed in this website then you've read all my books.

2) The Pale Horseman has just been published. I think its follow up (probably called The Red Ship) will be on sale in June next year, and I hope there'll be a new Sharpe book (no title yet) in October 2006.

Q

Hi I've been reading your books for four years now and read some of the questions before about the Starbuck chronicles. I won't ask you how is it coming and all that but you said that he meets Lincon. How would he do that? Does he get captured? In the Sharpe books why does Sharpe's ensigns alway's die tragic deaths? P.S Can't wait to read the Pale Horseman, it should be coming from Amazon soon but they seem to have messed it up. Keep writing, Andrew Wright.

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

No. Wait and see!

Ensigns? It's a sort of bad joke - when I killed my first Ensign (Sharpe's Gold) a woman in the publishers expressed shock and horror, so she now gets a dead one in virtually every book. Such is fate.

Q

Am just in the pocess of re-reading Sharpe's Enemy (for about the 4th time) and something as stuck in my head since I just got through Sharpe's 1st meeting with Rifleman Taylor. Taylor makes that boast that he's a better shot than Hagman. Obviously there's never an opportunity for Hagman to put him in his place (a shame) so I need to know who you think would've won? My own belief based on Sharpe's Havoc is that Hagman would've won but it would've been close!! Lee

Submitted October 12, 2005

A

I have no idea! Maybe they'll have a match in a future book so I won't anticipate the result now.

Q

Hallo Bernard, Fabulous job on actually putting up a meaningful website in this day an age. It's a pleasure to read through your responses to your fans, and so nice to see you put the effort into writing back to us! I just wanted to comment on some of your "other" writings. I have long been a fan of your Sharpe novels, and your more recent ones as well. However, what drew me to you as an author in the first place were "Wildtrack", "Sea Lord" and the other "thrillers" you've listed on your website. I thought they were superb - especially as I really enjoy the first-person point-of-view. Have you any plans to delve back into that genre at all? I'd love to hear more about Captain Nick Sandman, John Rossendale, Jennifer Pallavinci, and others like them... Cheers, Luke

Submitted October 7, 2005

A

Glad to know you enjoy the thrillers. Perhaps someday I'll write another (maybe after I retire...).

Q

I have been an avid reader all of my adult life - reading all types of books. I just finished re-reading The Fallen Angels (probably for the third time) in the last five years. I bought the book years ago at a used book store - the cover had the man and woman on it. The one I just bought new was published in July 2005. Did you make some changes in the recently published book? My other book is in storage and I haven't had a chance to compare them so I just thought I would write and ask.. Also I wanted to tell you how much I love both A Crowning Mercy and especially The Fallen Angels. Won't you please please write a sequel about Gitan and Campion? Or do you have another book that is similar that I haven't read? Thank you. Michelle Adams

Submitted October 7, 2005

A

No changes were made to the recently published book - except for the cover of course. No plans to write a sequel right now.