Your Questions

Q

Absolutely love the Sharpe books and am collecting the series as fast as I can. Also love your other books. Do you do your own research? I don't know how you have time to write so many brilliant books as well as research!
Jennifer Richardson

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

Thank you for your kind words Jennifer. Yes, I do my own research.

Q

Hello Bernard, As an avid reader of your books, I was delighted to find an article about yourself in today's (8 June 2005) Guardian Newspaper. It was extremely interesting, and put me in mind to ask if you have ever considered writing an autobiography? I am sure many of your readers would be delighted at such a prospect. Keep up the good work. Regards, Nathan Ling, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex.

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

Thank you - but I have never really been tempted to write my autobiography. I don't want to relive my childhood, that's for sure. I think the most you're going to get are the seven pages in a forthcoming book, Family Wanted, edited by Sara Holloway, and published in July in the UK by Granta Books. I open the batting with a memoir called Cakes and Ale, but it is only seven pages!

Q

Mr. Cornwell, A Few More Questions... 1. I've read that C.S.Forester was a huge inspiration for you in creating Sharpe, but I was wondering if you were also familiar with the works of P.C. Wren; specifically his famous novel "Beau Geste"? I ask because some of the concepts in the book like the sadistic sergeant, the warring tribes and the lost sultan's treasure seem to echo in your excellent India trilogy as well. 2. What are some of your favorite paintings/painters from the Napoleonic period? I ask because I recently tracked down Haythornthwaite's wonderful "Napoleonic Source Book" and it is bursting with many fine and vivid paintings and drawings of the period. Do you ever use paintings to inspire you to write or understand more clearly what was going on? In your experience, are any of the paintings really accurate or are they mostly overly romanticized? 3. Ever thought about writing of the Zulu War? Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Ulundi etc..probably alot of vertile story ground. 4. Have you read the recently translated novel "Captain Alatriste" by Spanish writer Arturo Perez-Reverte? If so what did you think of it? 5.What do you think is more likely to happen first- you publishing another Starbuck Chronicle or one of your books being selected for Oprah's Book Club? ..thanks again for your time, professionalism and excellent work. R.Kulb Phila. PA

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

1. I know of the novel, but confess I've never read it. I suppose certain themes like lost treasure and sadistic sergeants are constants in historical adventure fiction.

2. I probably use the paintings of Charles Hamilton Smith most - which were published by Greenhill with a text by Philip Haythornthwaite (Wellington's Army, 2002). I use those paintings (and of course those by Dighton) for uniforms, but I don't think I use them much to discover what was going on in battle - mainly because the painters were forced to leave out most of the smoke! Otherwise they'd all look like early impressionists. Probably the most useful book I use is Military Dress of the Peninsular War by Martin Windrow and Gerry Embleton which was published (don't know when) by Ian Allan - my copy is so ancient that it long ago fell apart and the remnants, minus the copyright page, are in a three ring binder which is itself now falling apart. I'm not sure the paintings are over-romanticised (though some undoubtedly are), but the painters needed patrons and you wouldn't make a living by including too many guts strewn across the ground or by depicting chaos (the patrons had to look as if they knew what they were doing which, in many cases, they did.) The painting was a celebration of victory and heroism, not a record of horror - though there are exceptions - Goya, of course, and General Lejeune's great painting of the capture of the Convent of Saint Engracia in Saragossa.

3. I've thought about it, but I don't think it's going to happen. Too many other things I've thought more about!

4. I haven't read it, but I do like Arturo Perez-Reverte's books, so I undoubtedly will read it.

5. I think hell willl freeze over and pigs will soar like eagles before Oprah selects one of my books!

Q

Dear sir, 4 questions regarding Sharpe!! - Do you have any idea why the head of intelligence changed for every series of 3 in the tv series? Which was your favourite 1? I'm torn between Hogan and Munro - as I found their wit very good and very similar!! When will the next Sharpe book be released/finished? What part of the war will it be set? As I'm sure you can tell I'm a huge Sharpe fan - just wish they'd make either 1 last programme or better still a big budget movie of him!! That would be something to see - even if god forbid it did not feature Sean Bean etc!! Thank you for your time and more so for your gift to the world sir!! Lee

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

Because actors aren't always available - and I think it was as simple as that - new actor, new character.

Comparisons are odious, aren't they? I liked them both.

The next Sharpe book will probably be released in the spring of 2007 and will follow on (I hope) from Sharpe's Escape.

Q

Hi, I am a great fan of your books, The Grail Quest series being my favourites, but my wife hates it when I start one as she can't get a sensible word out of me for a couple of days thereafter! I am also particularly fond of Patrick O'Brian's Aubury/Maturin novels for, while they do not have the pace of your books, over the series it is impossible not to feel as though you had been allowed to vicariously live a fantastic life that modern suburbia (or wherever) simply does not permit. Now to my question (it had to happen eventually!). I once read a glowing recommendation you had written of that series of books whose success is undeniable, but later, on a radio programme you said that the language of the day (Give you joy, and so forth) would be difficult to sell to a modern readership. I just wondered why you thought that what worked for Aubury wouldn't work for Sharpe? With kindest regards, JKM

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

Why don't I write like Patrick O'Brian? Not clever enough, I suppose, and unlike him I try very hard to smooth the reading - no obstacles. It's simply a different approach. He believed that books should convey lifestyle even, I suspect, at the expense of story. I go the other way.

Q

This is a silly question but perhaps one that will reveal a lot of queries. In my opinion, the problem with your stories is that there are lots of different series and not enough Bernard Cornwell to write them all. People inevitably have favourites, so one of the problems is people who like series such as Sharpe are spoiled in books, whilst Starbuck followers are starved. So let's say somebody managed to create two Bernard Cornwell clones. And thus, there was a lot more opportunity to have more Bernard Cornwell Books available. So the question is, which books would crop up, considering there's a lot more time? Would you take the chance to write Starbuck (I haven't got round to reading them yet, but I know from this website lots of people have been waiting!) again? Would you just concentrate on one series? Like Uhtred chronicles? Or would you live you to expectations and write about Robin Hood (which I believe is not far off from your destiny)? Thank you for your time. =) James Trethowan

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

One is enough (ask my wife). I suppose what would be written would be what is going to be written, but if I had twice as much time then yes, I would restart the Starbuck series, though for the moment I'm concentrating pretty hard on the Alfred books.

Q

Hi. I have a quick question for you. Do you think you'll ever write a novel series based during the American Revolutionary War? Brian Denney

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

I don't think there'll be a series, though I am planning a single further novel - whether I'll ever get round to writing it is another matter . . . .

Q

Hi Bernard, cool stories. Are the deities in Stonehenge real in the sense that they were worhsipped at that time? Where did you find their names? Lee

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

We don't have any idea what deities were worshipped at the time of Stonehenge - we don't know their names, or anything else about them, mainly, of course, because the folk back then hadn't developed writing and so left us no records to decipher. It seems more than reasonable, however, to assume that they associated major celestial phenomena (sun, moon, major stars) with their gods and goddesses, and we can deduce that from the orientation of their monuments. A good book on this is John North - Stonehenge and the Neolithic Cosmos.

Q

In a recent post, you say that the Lowland Scots are decendents of the Britons. My understanding from the little I've read on the subject is that there was a significant Anglo element to the Lowland Scots, and that they represented Anglo Saxon communities that had remained independent politically from the English kingdoms. I'm not saying this is true, it's just something I thought I read somewhere. Isn't the Scots language related to English, and hence of Germanic origin? Can you shed some light? Also, can you tell me how the Picts fit into the picture?
Mike

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

The lowland Scots were the British (ie Welsh) in the years following the Saxon invasion. Y Gododdin, a great Welsh poem describing a raid on the Saxons - the raiders went from what is now Scotland to what is now Catterick - was written in Welsh and written in Scotland. An enormous amount of mingling went on after that - with the Scottii (originally from Ireland) and the Saxons and the Danes and just about anyone else who could get in on the act. I suppose most Scots would claim that Gaelic is the Scottish language, and that is related to Erse (Irish), Welsh and Breton, i.e. the language of the Britons. Lowland Scots is almost entirely English, of course. the Picts, so far as I understand it, were the original inhabitants of the far north of Scotland and had their own language, about which there is much debate - whether it was Celtic or, as some scholars maintain, not even part of the Indo-European group (Basque is one such). That language has vanished, and the Picts were assimilated (polite word) by the Scots, the Danes, the Norsemen and anyone else who passed that way.

Q

Mr Cornwell I apologise if you've been asked this question many times before but, are there any plans to shoot further Sharpe novels? I remember reading a review on one of the books that is set a decade or so after Waterloo where Sharpe and Harper go to Chile?? or another South American country. Seeing as that Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley would be ten years older it would be great. By the way, my 10 and 14 year old sons are Sharpe fans now. Mark Wells

are you going to make any more films of the Sharpe books? we have all of them so far and think they are fantastic, we watch them quite often. Lynda

Sir, I am interested to learn more about an upcoming Sharpe TV series based on India. As a fan of your books and someone of Indian descent I am excited by the possibility. I've been an avid reader of your books for your many years. I actually had the opportunity of attending a book signing of yours in LA several years back. It was the first book signing event that I had ever attended (or even ever thought about going to one). I found the discussion to be very interesting, which made the long trip in LA traffic worthwhile. I remember buying your book at the bookstore then getting in the long line for you to personalize the book. I still laugh at all of the people who just wanted you to sign and date a stack of your books so they could sell them that night on Ebay. Overall, I thought the best part was the discussion on how the books came about and would recommend the experience to others if granted the opportunity. M. Patel

Dear Bernard, firstly I shall fall into line with everyone else's opening phrases and thankyou for writing such an astonishing and exciting series of books. I am doing history at university, (try as I might there is no Napolionic period to study), anyway I heard a rumour the other day that in autumn a Sharpe film will be made in India, (Sharpe's Challenge I think), just wondered if this was true, and if it is (this is far fetched and unlikely I know) any chance I can play (I am a thesbien of sorts) one of the many nameless soldiers?, of which I presume there will be plenty, kind regards Chris

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

I've asked the 'expert' on all things Sharpe (Chris Clarke at the Sharpe Appreciation Society) to fill us in on these rumours and here is what she had to say "the news so far is that the new film will be called 'Sharpe's Challenge', will be set in India in 1817 and hopefully will be in production back end of this year. The producers and director Tom Clegg have just returned from doing a recce in Rajastan, India to look over locations etc., they are very optimistic about filming although nothing is still confirmed. The only other news is that both Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley have been signed up to appear in the new film if it goes ahead." So there you have it - and as far as the casting for extras? Alas, I have no say in the matter, sorry!