Your Questions

Q

Just finished The Last Kingdom- Great tale- thank you. I was born in Denmark and lived 9 months under German Occup'n till father pulled a trick on them and got us out to NYC. I have a dumb question, but wasn't it the Jutes (from Jutland) not the Danes? The Vaestra vikingar pillaged England, Scotland and Ireland (I always wear red on St Pat's Day), and the Oestra vikingar (the Svea) who travelled west and south through the land of the Rus into the Med. When I lived in Beirut 1961-3 I heard about mosaics of the "vikings" trading with the moslems, but they always had their right hands on their swords. Seems we Yanks had to learn that the hard way. I look forward to your next in the series. When did King Canute (knud) come into the picture. The Danes werre quite democratic, and probably no more violent than any other tribes of the period? Congrats, Erik

Submitted March 23, 2005

A

The Jutes, I think, came with the first wave of Saxon invaders and settled mainly in Kent. The Danes arrived much later. It's odd, isn't it, that we call them Jutes and not Danes, but I suspect the Danes, coming three hundred years later, didn't think of them as Danes either - and by then the Jutish settlers were speaking English and seem to have been assimilated into the other Saxon tribes. Is this a pre-history conundrum like the Schleswig-Holstein question?

Q

I enjoy all of your books, but it seems that the Last Kingdom was really well done. I hope there will be more forthcoming soon about this time period. Also, Do your writings reveal your personal feelings of religion. It seems that they all have a common thread of disallusion over formal relgion and a bent toward pagansim or secularism.
Glen Robinson

Submitted March 23, 2005

A

I'm not sure they all have - Rider Sandman (Gallows Thief) is a very conventional Anglican, while Swynyard, in the Starbuck Chronicles, is undoubtedly improved beyond recognition by becoming a Christian. Sharpe, I confess, is an unbeliever, while the books about Arthur and Alfred are set in times when Christianity was in competition with other religions, so some reflection of that is necessary, and I don't believe that Christianity had a monopoly of morality and paganism a monopoly on immorality.

Q

Hi Bernard! What would happen if Richard Sharpe met Becky Sharp - from Vanity Fair? James

Submitted March 23, 2005

A

This is a family-friendly website, so I can't say, but you can guess, and I think they'd enjoy it.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell I have read all of your books. I like the Sharpe series. I was wondering if you were going to write a book about how Sharpe kills Morris? He told some one that he would kill Hakeswell and Morris for flogging him and he killed Hakeswell but not Morris. If you think I would sue you for writing a book from this idea you are crazy!!! you are my favorite author. Sam Peele (P.S. - I found an interesting fact during my spring break in Bermuda. I was walking on a kind of secret path near some old british forts and there was this big cross made to commerate the men who dead of the yellow fever in 1864 and one man's name was Private T. Sharpe - he was a soilder in the 2nd battilion of of the 2nd regiment of foot.)

Submitted March 23, 2005

A

Thanks for the interesting fact. I hope Sharpe gets his revenge on Morris one day (and so does Sharpe!). Thanks for writing.

Q

Bernard, Just somethings getting to me that I had to ask. In Sharpe's Escape I think it is, Leroy is a Major, but in Company he is a Captain and in Enemy he is a Major again. Was it a typo in Escape or was it writen on purpose? Another thing regarding Leroy, he is annoyed at Collett coming into the South Essex in Company because it meant he couldn't advance furthur up the ranks. Why couldn't he have bought the majority in the first place? Thirdly, what are Gentlemen Volunteers? I cannot find anything about them anywhere. Sorry if it seems like I am nitpicking, Joe. PS. Can't wait for the sequel to the Last Kingdom. Joe

Submitted March 18, 2005

A

I think he was breveted Major, dropped back to real rank and was then promoted properly. That's my explanation, because any other would imply that I Had Made a Mistake, and that never happens. Ever.

Probably because he couldn't afford it.

You'll find something about Gentlement Volunteers in Richard Holmes's splendid book Redcoat. If a young man wants to be an officer in a regiment, and there are no vacancies, he could serve in the ranks as a 'gentleman volunteer', and might get promoted when there was a vacancy. I don't think it was that common during the war - because battles provide lots of vacancies and expansion also provides opportunity.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, Howdy! I've enjoyed your books for some time now and above all the Sharpe series are my favorite. I share them with my children who are fans as well. One of my favorite books is Red Coat, and having read it twice I was hoping that there would be a sequel. Do you have any plans for a sequel? Next and I understand that you may have responded to this questions so many times before so please forgive me for asking again. Do you have any plans to bring Richard Sharpe to New Orleans for the New Orleans Campaign? I ask for a few reasons, One I'm a reenactor of a few different periodsone being the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic period. Two, I'm a fan. Three, because as a reenactor we here in the deep south enjoy covering the ground where some of our heros and literary heros have trod. Thank you very much for your time, John

Submitted March 18, 2005

A

I don't have plans for a sequel to Redcoat nor do I have plans to bring Sharpe to New Orleans. Thanks for your message!

Q

First of all, thanks a lot for your wonderful books. I love the arthurian saga above all others, as you do, I believe. I spent several sleep-less nights reading them, just because I started reading and could not stop! Recently I saw the newest movie about King Arthur and could not help but to imagine that the script has been very loosely (and badly) inspired by your work. I wished that they contacted you and asked to help them shape the movie. I believe they didn't and it shows! What's your opinion on the movie? Cheers, Christian

Submitted March 18, 2005

A

I haven't seen it so I can offer no opinion.

Q

Hello, I just briefly read about you in the newspaper and got interested in your books. But I have a small question though. The Normans with William the Norman that later on defeated Harrold the saxon, weren't they second generation Danes? Best Regards, Morten

Submitted March 16, 2005

A

Not quite second generation, but they were Norsemen (some of whom would have been Danes) - indeed the name Norman means just that . . . . I'm not up to speed, though, on why they assimilated so totally, i.e. why they abandoned their own languages for French. But yes, they were Viking descendants.

Q

Just a short and simple question: Do you write the British version of the books, and then someone else revises it to a US version, or vice versa? Arne Dam

Submitted March 16, 2005

A

I write the books and sometimes the US publisher Americanises the spelling of some words.

Q

Hi Bernard, I've just finished reading the warlord chronicles for the second time and I consider these books the very best I've ever read! But when the last page has turned, I have a 'strange' feeling about derfel you know...it's like the worst part of his life is now about to begin...to serve Sansum! Did you had also that strange feeling after finishing Excalibur? I never liked a character more than Derfel! You did an excellent job! Thanks for everything! ps: Stonehenge is also very special to me...again thank you. Joshua

Hello Just finished the Arthur Books, just curious what happend to Nimue in the end? Damien

Submitted March 16, 2005

A

I like Derfel too - and suspect you're right, that everything after Arthur's disappearance is fairly horrid. One reason not to write about it?