Your Questions

Q

Hi Bernard, I'm a big fan of your work and also Manchester Utd football club , and as such I've heard that Roy Keane is Alex Ferguson's version of himself on the football pitch. Would you describe Sharpe as Wellington's version of himself on the battlefield? Regards Mark Tate

Submitted October 13, 2004

A

Anything but! Wellington disliked soldiers like Sharpe - first he was up from the ranks ('they all take to drink') and second because he preferred men who quietly did their duty in a steady, unflashy way. Sharpe is not unflashy, but that's what makes him (to me) an interesting foil to Wellington.

Q

Hi Bernard. Firstly may I say how much I enjoy all your books. I have a question about the longbow. I watched a documentary recently about the battle of Agincourt where they did a test on the longbow and stated that it couldn't possibly have pierced armour. How they arrived at this was they filmed someone shooting a longbow, used that to calculate the speed the arrow was travelling and then used a machine to drive an arrow at a piece of steel to simulate armour. The arrow just buckled. I'm sceptical as to whether the person would be shooting with the same power as a Medievel archer. They said the battle of Agincourt was won because of the muddy conditions and because the French were charging into a natural funnel in the terrain and it was a sort of Medieval Hillsborough disaster. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on this. Mark Durant

Submitted October 13, 2004

A

The documentary sounds full of rubbish, but there you go. The longbow was used first against the two mounted flank attacks, and those arrows would have been aimed at the horses. Horses don't wear plate armour, and a longbow arrow would pierce mail, leather or padded cloth. Bye bye gee gees. The retreating horsemen probably messed up the main attack (which was on foot), and the longbow arrows would not have pierced plate armour at long or even medium range, but they did force the French men at arms to fight with their visors down, thus restricting their vision drastically. At close range an arrow might pierce plate if it strikes directly - the arrow is travelling at least 44 metres a second (that's a 90 pound bow, and the Agincourt bows were much stronger). Even if the arrow didn't pierce the armour it would knock the man backwards - and few men at arms could afford full plate armour. Many, perhaps most, would have worn leather and mail, and they would have been easy meat for longbowmen. It's Hillsborough plus arrows - very nasty indeed!

Q

Question: Will we see any books focusing on Harper's life, and supposed adventures, before meeting Sharpe, and after returning to Ireland? Enjoyed all the books, thank you. Jeff Bouchard

Submitted October 13, 2004

A

Probably not.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I would like to thank you for your wonderful job. You are one of the few people who opened English language for me and made me to love it almost as much as my native language. But here is my question: In Starbuck Chronicles both Lassan and Sergeant Case have done Sevastopol campaign. I know more or less the Russian side of that campaign because I am Russian. Could you suggest for me some good book which can tell me the English side of the story? Or, perhaps you yourself are planning the book about Sevastopol campaign? Respectfully, Alexander D. New York

Submitted October 13, 2004

A

I'm not! And I don't know of a good book - though Terry Brighton's new book The Charge of the Light Brigade, does deal fairly comprehensively with the siege (as well as the battle of Balaclava). That might be a good place to start, and I'm sure his bibliography will provide a good suggestion

Q

Hello Bernard, Thank you for many years of riveting reading and also for being so approachable through this forum. As an Englishman now living in California your stories bring me both enormous pleasure and a few pangs of homesickness! I'm very much looking forward to your latest work. My annual tradition is to read your latest book and then listen to the audio book version. The narrator, Tim Piggot-Smith, has to be the most talented (and multi-accented!) audio performer I have ever heard. If anyone else reading this has not heard his versions of Bernard's books I highly recommend them. It is the perfect combination of great prose and superb performance. They go together like fish and chips! Anyway, as I was perusing Amazon to order your latest I was shocked to see a different narrator for the Last Kingdom. Was Tim unavailable? Will he be back for future books? I do hope so as he has the most extraordinay vocal skills. Other than that, keep up the great work Bernard and I hope you can make it out to the West Coast one of these days. Adam

Submitted October 6, 2004

A

I don't know - the decisions regarding readers for the audio books are up to the publisher!

Q

If filmakers can make a fine movie trilogy from the "Lord of the Rings" books, why not make a better movie trilogy from the Arthur books? Would you approve of this idea if it was proposed to you? Mike Hodge

Submitted October 6, 2004

A

I would - but I suspect it would be too expensive to make.

Q

Is Starbuck dead? Will we ever read the rest of the story. Iv'e read dozens of CW books and enjoyed that series greatly. It would be a shame to leave Startbuck on the fields of Antietam. Chris Baumer

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I love your books...all of them...but in the last Starbuck novel you said that Starbuck would ride again. When? There are so many unanswered questions and I can hardly wait for you to answer them! Your books are a source of delight to my husband and me. Thank you, and thank God for your talent!!! Sandra Turner

Submitted October 5, 2004

A

Starbuck is not dead and I do hope to get back to him before too long - but there are other projects I plan to complete first. Thanks for your messages!

Q

Hello , I was just wondering if you were going to write a fourth book for your grail quest? Sandy Clark

Submitted October 5, 2004

A

It is not in my plans at the moment - perhaps in the future?

Q

Hi I'm a very big fan of yours from all the way up here in Scotland. I was reading one of your most frequently asked questions and one of the was about Sharpe (which I love) and I was wondering if you could tell me who the guy was that Sean Bean replaced if that is not too much to ask. Thanks very much. Kevin Donaldson

Submitted October 5, 2004

A

It was Paul McGann.

Q

I see on your book list is a book about the battle of stones river. Have you read about Gen. George H. Thomas....the Virginian who fought for the Union and was the only Union General to destroy an entire Confederate Army??? How about a book about him? thanks for putting Sharpes Eagles at 3.99 as someone who has never read the series before it was a good opportunity to get the book and look at the series. Leonard

Submitted October 1, 2004

A

I have read about him - and yes, he would make a good tale. Maybe one day?