Your Questions

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, 1) Thank you very much for being the most polite, helpful, and available to the public author of large stature that I've ever seen - 2) Have you ever considered composing a story surrounding Alexander the Great? Thanks - excellent work - cheers - shane

Submitted September 26, 2005

A

Thanks! No, no plans for Alexander the Great.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I will echo the hundreds of thousands who enjoy your books and say that you are one of my favorite authors. I hope we will be entertained with your works for years to come. At the end of Waterloo, Wellington tells Sharpe that the Prince of Wales's Own are his. I took this to mean he was promoted to Lt. Col. in the British Army (not the Dutch). My question is did the Horse Guards approve of the appointment or reject it like his earlier gazette? When he intoduces himself to somebody in "Sharpe's Devil", he refers to himself as a Lt. Col. Darren Ivey

Submitted September 26, 2005

A

I assume he took it as a brevet appointment - i.e. temporary, which is all the Duke would have been empowered to give him on the spot. In truth he reverts to his old rank afterwards, but courtesy would allow him to use the brevet rank.

Q

I am addicted to your historical novels, finished the Arthur series, thought it was a marvelous take on the legend or fact. One question, on the archer series you state that the archer pulled back to the ear, I am a longbow archer and we anchor at the mouth or do you mean the hand ends up at the ear after release? Small item which I was curious about. And thanks for a lot of great reading. By the way, my mother was from Hull in Yorkshire, imagine with your name you are from the south. Thanks again, Stan Mintz

Submitted September 26, 2005

A

Nope, I mean the ear - all the way back before release - have a look at Robert Hardy's great book Longbow, or Hugh Soar's The Crooked Stick. Makes it much harder to aim!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I am Luca Caruana from Malta. Before asking you the question I have, I wish to thank you for your brilliant story-telling especially in the Warlord Trilogy. I have just only began reading your books, and they are all a masterpiece. I am an author myself (though I'm sure you haven't heard of me), and I am preparing a story during the 19 century though I find it very difficult for publishing it in the U.K. My question could be a simple one, but I must be sure of the answer, the question is this: When Nimue (Warlord trilogy) recieved the 3 wounds-did she become a Driud? Thanks a lot, and in the future I hope that you will publish more books. Thanks again, Luca Caruana

Submitted September 22, 2005

A

Did she? I can't remember. She certainly believes she has power, and Merlin does too, but I doubt women were named as Druids. She's as good as, will that do?

Q

When will you next be touring the east coast of the US, especially Washington, DC, or Baltimore? Thank you. Wayne Arny

Submitted September 22, 2005

A

Don't know! Nothing's on the schedule now, but check the Diary page every now and again as it all gets posted there.

Q

Bernard Many thanks for taking time to answer my question(s). What role do your editors take? Do they concern themselves with spelling and layout, or do they get more involved with the twists and turns of the plot? Have you ever had to rewrite plotline because of external influence and, if so, what was changed or deleted? Keep up the good work. Best regards Andy Bellinger

Submitted September 22, 2005

A

I was very lucky and learned to spell at school, so I spare my editors that chore. Layout is entirely their concern, nothing to do with me. They usually wrangle about some scenes in a book; both my editors (one in the UK and one in the US) are women so they usually want more emotion (what's Sharpe feeling here? they ask) and being an unreconstructed man I usually cut out the existing emotion in an attempt to stop them asking ever again. Luckily we're friends, so the arguments don't get heated. If a plotline is rewritten (and it often is) I do it before it reaches the editors. Of course they concern themselves with the plot, but a plot is immensely complicated. The reader isn't supposed to notice that, but it is - every change of narrrative will effect other changes which are often a hundred pages away or more, and it's a complicated business - and changing it drastically is probably impossible. Plot is really about motivation, and the events, as they unfoild, must seem to the reader to be inevitable, or at least likely, which means closing off escape avenues all through the book. That's the complicated bit and if it's done right then the reader won't notice. My editors often want scenes enlarged, and I'm usually happy to do that. What's left out? There isn't enough space to tell you!! Writing is really rewriting. The book changes hugely over the five or six months of writing. The book I'm doing right now (the third Alfred) was 80% done before I went back to the start and wrote in a new major character. The original ending has been dropped, and a new one put in. It's all the usual process - and as it isn't done yet I still can't be sure that it won't change drastically again, though I suspect not - it feels right. And that, in the end, is the acid test - does it feel right?

Q

Just read the excerpt from "Pale Horseman" and eagerly await its US publication. I'm wondering why your non-Sharpe novels haven't been filmed, or have I missed something? P.S. I also am a sailor--a Cape Dory 25 on Lake Ontario. Ellsworth Viking Bahrman III

Submitted September 22, 2005

A

You haven't missed anything. But I'd be happy to see it happen!

Q

I love all your books. I have even started reading the books by Conn Iggulden, because of your praise of them on the cover. I eagerly await "The Pale Horseman," yet wonder why in the UK it has 400 pages, but in the US it only has 320 pages (according to amazon)? Alex

Submitted September 22, 2005

A

You will find that to be true of all of my books due to the difference in type, page size, etc. between the UK publisher and the US publisher. There is no difference in the content of the stories.

Q

From Sevilla. Wanna get mad about these editors? Did you know that your Grail Quest books were retitled in Spain, published by Edhasa: Harlequin -> Los arqueros del Rey (Archers of the King) Vagabond -> La batalla del Grial (The battle of The Grail) Heretic -> El sitio de Calais (The siege of Calais) Nice books, is there going to be a fourth one? Joaquín

Dear Sir, I come from Greece and I have read your books with Thomas of the Hookton. I can say it was really amazing that it even influenced me in buying a bow. I would like to ask if there is going to be another one? Jim Kapetanakis

I have become infatuated with Thomas of Hookton. And would love read more in the trilogy, which of course would make it no longer a trilogy. But, maybe the after math of his quest and finding a new life. I am left hanging with anticipation. Do you have plans to add to his short life?? Thanks so much. Misha

Submitted September 20, 2005

A

No plans for a fourth book in the Grail Quest series, but it is possible that Thomas may be back for a new adventure (without the search for the Grail).

Q

Hello Mr Cornwell. I hope you are well. I have read almost all of your works, just started 'The last kingdom' and wholeheartedly love them all. My question is this. In my copy of Sharpe's Eagle you state in the foreword that it is the only book of yours that you have never dared to go back and re-read and I just wondered if you have ever done so? I would also like to thank your wife Judy for putting you in the position of having to write books to support her and thus giving the world a most enjoyable character in the form of Sharpe. Lastly, I'm sure you are aware that the Sean Bean played the role of 'Boromir' in Peter Jacksons 'Lord of the Rings' films. In one scene Sean thumbs the edge of an ancient historic broken sword which cuts his thumb, and prompts the response "still sharp". I just wondered if he had a wry smile in his mind's eye when delivering these lines. I know I did. Thank you for your continuing efforts in producing such wonderful novels, long may you continue. Kind regards James Olsen

Submitted September 20, 2005

A

Still haven't re-read it! Perhaps I will one day. Thanks for your message!