Your Questions

Q

Hi One time you commented that you learned alot from John Keegan's face of Battle. I went out and read it, and then I read several more of his histories which I found absolutelty engrossing, especially The History of Warfare. Keegan analyzes narratives of battle in the Face of Battle, has he ever commented on your stories? Thanks for keeping up this site - it is a pleasure to read. James

Submitted June 30, 2005

A

Not that I know of. He is good, isn't he?

Q

I'm just reading The Last Kingdom, obtained at Costco. I bought the book because I recognized the Viking ships, of course, but looking inside saw the names Alfred the Great, Ragnar Lodbrok, King Aella, and so on. Now I've gotten to to p. 62 and see Ivar the Boneless.!! These people are all our ancestors!!! How did you find all this info on them??? I have a cousin who has recently compiled all our genealogy from these people, and they are all included!!! I'll gladly share my info with you, if you'll tell me how you learned all these details to write these great novels!!! Margaret Carole Bendler Jacob

Submitted June 30, 2005

A

Thanks for your nice comments! There are all sorts of places where you can find out about these folk, though much of the information is shrouded in mystery. We know most about King Alfred because he wrote himself, and had his biography written in his lifetime by Bishop Asser. The quickest resources, which will lead you onto other books, are The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo Saxon England and, for the Vikings, I'd recommend John Haywood's Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age. The snag here being that both were published in Britain and I can't say offhand whether they were also published in the States. I have their genealogies too - I wonder if they're the same as your cousin's - they're all in A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain, 500 - 1050. Guess where that book was published too! Thanks.

Q

Dear Bernard, First thanks for all your wonderful books, I am literally counting down the days until 'The Pale Horseman' is released. Now a question or two (sorry!). Which battle fought during the Napoleonic wars was the most significant/crucial for the British and allies (especially out of Trafalgar and Waterloo)? Which one did you like writing about? Thanks for your time and keep up the great work!! Thanks, Ben.

Submitted June 30, 2005

A

I suppose the crucial one was Trafalgar, because it virtually guaranteed that Britain could not be defeated by France. I'm not sure which battle I most enjoyed writing about - I think I'm equally fond of Trafalgar and Waterloo.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell. I recently saw the movie The Four Feathers, and during the opening credits it states that the white feather was a symbol of cowardice in the British Army. Would you happen to know when/why this was started? Was this also true during Sharpe's era? Thanks, and I also want to state that I enjoy ALL of your books, especially the Arthur trilogy.
Axel

Submitted June 30, 2005

A

I suspect it was. I've never thought about it, but Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says that the saying comes from cock-fighting, and that when a gamebird has had enough and wants out of the fight it raises the hackle feathers on its neck which are fringed with white - so it's showing a surrender flag, and thus the saying. I've no idea if that's true, but it sounds convincing.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, Although you so often hear it, I will add my voice to those who have proclaimed you among their favorite authors. I have read most of your books, first becoming aquainted with Sharpe on the occasion of a birthday gift from my librarian mother many years ago. An association she inferred, I am sure, from my fondness for Hornblower in my childhood. What really sets you apart, however, is your fine attention to detail - historical, cultural, visual - and how it so completely engulfs readers in your character's trials and triumphs among historical events. Events often heard and wondered about in dry abstraction, but here lived with a wonderful wet immediacy. You are often compared to O'Brien or Forester. I won't say one is better than another. I will say that you are the only author which I will not hesitate to purchase off the shelf of the local bookseller; knowing full well that I am in for a grand time, and will probably learn something in the bargain. That said, two questions: Are there differences between the U.K. and American editions of your books - the one I know of is the title to "The Archer's Tale" - but have there been other differences in text? and Are you read much by the French? Do the poor French have any authors willing to cast them as anything other than the hapless recipients of Britain's might? Many thanks for many hours of brilliant storytelling. --Andrew Cox Stavros

Submitted June 30, 2005

A

There is no difference in the text of the two versions of my books, except the US publisher Americanises the spelling of some words.

The French read the Arthur books, and they do well there. Not sure they've caught onto Sharpe yet! And I don't know if they have a Sharpe quivalent of their own - be interesting to find out!

Q

Bernard, I am aware from your excellent Sharpe books that both Richard Sharpe and his trusty sidekick Harper were both over six feet tall. How tall was the average foot soldier in the early nineteenth century? I am sure that I read somewhere that the average soldier was only 5' 6" tall during WWI. Mitch, Liverpool

Submitted June 28, 2005

A

I think the average height was about 5' 4" or 5' 5", though the Highland regiments were supposedly a bit taller.

Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell, I wrote to you before with a rather stupid question but I've been wondering this for a while now and wanted to know: If Sharpe was a real character and everything that you've written about him was true, then would he be one of Britain's great historic heroes and we would have heard of him or would he just be another brave soldier in the Napoleonic wars? Considering that he did save Lord Wellingtons life, survived the war with India and France, managed to take an eagle and rose from the ranks! P.S. Look forward to your reply, I think your work is unbelievably brilliant and can't wait to read more. Carrie Overthrow

Submitted June 28, 2005

A

I suspect that the great heroes of history tended to be of high rank - I can think of very few lower rank folk who made the pantheon. There was no newspaper coverage of the Napoleonic Wars other than reprinting the general's despatches, and even then only when there was a victory to be announced. Wellington disapproved of men like Sharpe, so he was unlikely to mention him in despatches. Sharpe would doubtless have been notorious inside the army, but that reputation is most unlikely to spread beyond unless and until he held high enough rank to send his own (immodest) despatches.

Q

I recently began reading the Sharpe series in chronological order and am currently enjoying 'Sharpe's regiment'. First my congratulations on a wonderfully satisfying series. As a Christian I have to love / forgive my enemies until judgement day but in fantasy enjoy the instant, usually well deserved punishment the soldier pro exacts. I decided to buy the dvd series and note the 'Hong Kong' pirates have been busy copying them. What do you think about that? Thanks for hours of reading enjoyment ... Tony

Submitted June 28, 2005

A

I suppose it's quite flattering! I don't approve, naturally, but there's not a whole lot my disapproval achieves.

Q

I am reading Rebel now and have almost finished it. I was delighted to find that you used Amherst and Nelson Co. as your back drop for the book. I assume you have visited Seven Oaks and the area. I hope you liked it and enjoyed your visit. I live in Charlottesville now but have lived in Middleburg, Warrenton, and my family lives in the Valley at New Market, Virginia. When you wrote this series did you know of the tunnel built by Claudius Crozet near Rockfish Gap? It was completed in 1858 and used by Stonewall Jackson to move troops between the Valley and the Piedmont. You probably know this and have used it in the series somewhere. Please excuse my impertenance, then. You make my ancestors come alive with this series. Yes, I had a few foolish ones too. I also wanted to tell you that you introduced me to the Wellington campaigns in a delightful way with the Sharpe series. In my schools, the war of 1812 was covered very quickly and didn't develop much desire in students to explore it. Now, I understand more about the involvement of the USA in that era. Thank you for that. I do look for more Sharpe books, though. Irene Peery

Submitted June 28, 2005

A

I don't think I've heard of the tunnel - but it sounds fascinating. I have visited all the right places! And really enjoyed it - I remember one magical November evening in the Valley when I was driving down a counbtry road, a slight mist in the early twilight, and suddenly a troop of Confederate cavalry appeared over the brow of the hill. Quite magical!

Q

Good'ay from Downunder. Any chance that Richard Sharpe could be detached for special duty with the Regiments in the developing Australian colonies? Ian

Submitted June 28, 2005

A

Never thought about it! But who knows?