Your Questions

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I'm a great fan of your work! I partcularly enjoyed the Sharpe Peninsular books and the Grail Quest Series. One question! Have you ever thought about writing a series set during WW2? I believe with your talents it would be a big success! Keep up the amazing work! Jonathon Clayton

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

Sorry - no plans for any WWII books.

Q

Dear Bernard, Without giving away too much, can you give your fans a little sneak peak into your next Sharpe addition? Where will it fit in with the rest? What battles will you be covering? Do you have a ball park timeframe as to when it will be released? Also do you have a particular favorite peninsular battle & why? Mine is the battle of Salamanca & the charge of the KGL. Their discipline to break those squares astounds me! All the best Michael

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

The next Sharpe, I think, will come immediately after Sharpe's Escape, and will be set around the battle of Barossa. It probably won't appear until 2006 or even 2007, because I'm giving him a break at the moment. A favourite peninsular battle? Salamanca or Vitoria, I think.

Q

Do you ever come to the west coast? In particular, say.....Denver? Michael

Dear Mr Cornwell, Are you planning to visit Australia any time in the near future, particularly Melbourne, for a book signing? I am sure your Australian fans would love to meet you. Gerard Robertson

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

I have been to the west coast - although I've never been to Denver. Perhaps some day? I'd love to go to Australia as well, but it's not on the schedule yet. Check the Diary page every now and again as all appearances will be posted there.

Q

Hello, its me again! How was Christmas, (if you'll pardon the familiarity). In the foreward for Sharpe's Rifles you lament that you were unable to write a series about riflemen. Did you ever consider having the South Essex redesignated as Rifles (I know this can be done as it was how the Royal Ulster Rifles were formed) or give Sharpe a company of the 60th instead so as he could be attached to other Regiments? Also I note in response to a previous question that you are writing a story in the American Revolution, is it a continuation of Redcoat of a new story? A bit late though this may be, have a happy New year and keep up the good work, yours sincerly, Mickey O'Donohoe

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

Not really - the advantage of the South Essex is that they are redcoats, so the novels can have both the rifles experience, through Sharpe, and the redcoat experience as well. It's a fictional device to help the stories, though strictly, of course, inaccurate.

Q

Mr. Cornwell, I realy enjoy reading your books especialy the Grail quest and the India trilogy. I would like to know if and how many more books you plan to write. I am about to read a Simon Scarrow book (The Eagles Conquest) and would like to know if he is as good as you because I don't want to waste my time. Thanks, Will Mitchell

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

How many more books will I write? Until I couldn't possibly write any more I hope! I don't believe you'd be wasting your time at all.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell I am an avid reader of your Sharpe books and others. I have read them all but two and I doubt that I have the will power to save them. Two questions spring to mind. Why does Sharpe sharpen his sword before a battle and not after? I would have thought a sharp sword would have been handy at all times. Are the Sharpe books as popular in France as elsewhere in the world? Regards Barry Iacoppi (New Zealand)

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

He does sharpen it after. I just don't tell you about every time he does it. To date, not one Sharpe book has ever been translated to French although a number of my non-Sharpe books have and appear to do well.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I have read most of your books and find the Warlord books the best. When writing do you find it hard not to copy other people or repeat yourself? And when will the next Last Kingdom book be out? In the Arthur books did the killing of the pagons by the christians in the book happen? Alan Wilby

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

I don't find it hard not to copy other people - the books spring out of my imagination, and I've never found myself leaning on other peoples' descriptions. Repeat myself? I try hard not to, but doubtless some people think I fail!

We know very little of what happened in Arthurian times, so it's hard to give a definite answer, but whenever religions clash they seem to end up killing the other side in the name of their god, so yes, I suspect it did happen.

The follow-up to The Last Kingdom will be published in the UK in October of this year. We don't have the US publication date yet, but we'll let you know.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell I am a big fan. I read the Arthur books in French and English, and they are, without a doubt, my favorite of all time. I live in Montreal and I have two questions: #1: Did you ever visit Montreal? #2 Have you ever thought of writing a book on the colonial wars? (New England and New France) Frederic-G. Rollet

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

I would love a visit to Montreal, but there doesn't seem to be one scheduled any time in the near future. I've thought about the colonial wars, but it's not on my list at the moment.

Q

Dear Bernard , Well it's finally happened, I have just read Sharpe's Waterloo and all the other Sharpes. So I either read them all again or you my dear Bernard stop galivanting all over the place doing PAs (of which I really enjoyed your talk at the National Army Museum) and start to write more Sharpe novels, don't make me beg. Bernard could you explain to me why Sharpe received a laurel reef patch for storming the breach at Badajoz, when it was not a official forlorn hope, and why was Harper not promoted to officer having survived the hope? Thanks for all the hours of enjoyment I have recieved through your books, so long live Sharpe, and all the best to you and yours Bernard. PS My wife sends her thanks for all the peace and quiet she has had. Mark Tate

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

Answer to the first question is generosity, and to the second, lack of the same.

Q

I just finished the Warlord Chronicles and I have to say that they are some of the best books that I've ever read! My question lies with the druids in the stories. I was wondering if you had a recommended reading list that pertained to the druids? Any help would be great, thanks. Tristan

Submitted January 20, 2005

A

Not really. The problem with the Druids is that we know virtually nothing about them, and what we do know is mostly the evidence of their enemies (the Romans). The best thing is to read round the subject - books on British pre-history, the Celts, the Roman invasion, especially their attack on Anglesey, and glean what you can, but the pickings will be small!