Your Questions

Q

Dear Sir I recently finished Gallows Thief & I want to thank you for writing such an excellent novel. I enjoyed it immensely! I loved how you portrayed cricket it in the novel & especially how you described some of the rules that have now since changed. ( stump wicket & underarm bowling indeed!) Are you a cricket fan your self? The English are doing quite well against the West Indies at the moment; hopefully they can keep up their form until they meet us. I recently saw King Arthur & apart from the wardrobe, I though it was an awful movie. I feel it did no just to your awesome trilogy. Have you seen it? If so what are your thoughts? Kind regards Michael, Sydney Australia.

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

Am I a cricket fan? Yes, yes and yes, and yes I hope we keep up our form until we meet you and keep it when we meet you too. And for any of our readers who are baseball fans, let me recommend Ed Smith's Playing Hardball, a look at baseball written by a cricket player, and a terrific read available from Amazon.co.uk. I don't plan to see the new King Arthur movie.

Q

Dear Bernard Thanks for awakening an interest in history in me that has been latent since school. I am enjoying the Sharpe books tremendously, especially as I used to live in Gibraltar and have visisted many of the Spanish towns you mention. I now live in Shetland, a place that has an empathy toward all things Viking, so I am looking forward to the Last Kingdom series. A couple of questions for you: Have you been tempted to write a Sharpe style story set in the present day? How do you think a modern greenjacket officer like Sharpe would have got on in the Falklands, Bosnia, Afghanistan or Iraq? Finally, when I read The Gallows Thief I was struck by the similarites between Rider Sandman and Sharpe. Was it originally meant to be a Sharpe story perhaps? Yours, Nick Bentley

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

Gallows Thief was always meant for Rider Sandman who is, I think, a good deal more principled than Sharpe, and not nearly so ruthless. As for Sharpe in the modern times? he'd be in the SAS if the army survived him that long, and I'm fairly sure there are serveral Sharpe lookalikes in that mysterious regiment today. I hope there are.

Q

Dear mr Cornwell, With the zeal of the recently converted I am currently racing through all your novels and so far I have found each and every one to be an absolute joy! (I think they invented the word "page-turner" for your books!) My favorite ones so far however (by a nose) are the Arthur novels. I found the mix of myth and legend with gritty realism a fantastic combination. That is why I am anxious to know if there might be plans to tackle other myths and legends in a similar way. Currently, I am halfway "Vagabond" and at one point Thomas tells Robbie about an old English folk hero by the name of Robin Hood (or Hude) who fought the French speaking nobility. I wonder if you have ever entertained the idea of giving the legend of Robin Hood the "Bernard Cornwell" -treatment!? I think that would be great!! My second question is, if you are not so keen on doing a Robin Hude novel, is there perhaps another myth or legend that you would like to explore in this way? Or does the idea of returning to this kind of novel not appeal to you? Regards from Eelco van Kappen

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

It appeals to me, and I'll probably find something of the sort - it's just that Robin Hood doesn't set my soul on fire. Maybe he will one day?

Q

I am all at sea. I was looking up Sharpe's old regiment the 33rd, and discovered as you'll already know that they were the 1st Yorkshire, West Riding... I was under the impression that it was an infantry Regiment, am I just being ignorant? Does 'Riding' mean something else military wise? Did the Regiment change at some point into cavalry? Is this source just messing with my mind? ack, sorry for sounding stupid. All at sea. James Trethowan

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

The 33rd are now the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, and are still an infantry unit. They are, as you say, associated with the West Riding of Yorkshire, and you have been understandably misled by the word 'Riding' which has nothing to do with horses, but comes from an Old Norse word meaning 'a third part', and back in the days when Yorkshire was settled by Norsemen (Vikings) they divided the county into three parts, three Ridings, the East, West and North, which are still recognised, but ceased to be official administrative areas in 1974.

Q

Hi Mr Cornwell (Or Bernard if you prefer!) I'm a fan of both your Sharpe work and the Hornblower stories- would you ever consider doing a 'crossover' story between the two or do copyright and legal stuff prevent?- can't help thinking that it would be fun- but just 'the idle thoughts of an idle fellow'. Dean Watson

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

You are right - the copyright and legal stuff would be a nightmare.

Q

Hey Bernard, I was wondering if you have any intention of watching the new "King Arthur" film that is due for release next month? Being an avid fan of your Arthur series and interested in dark age Britain, I wonder if big screen mythology will match the Arthur legend protrayed in your books! thanks - Danny

Dear Sir Thank you very much for writing so many fantastic books. I was wondering, as you know there is new Arthur film made and they are claiming incorrectly that it is "the untold true story", I was wondering did they ever approach you for your Arthur series? Thanks again for all your great books. Ian

I know it's not based on your books, but have you seen the new King Arthur film? I have a bad feeling that it's not going to be anywhere near as good as it could be if it was based on your books, Roman Arthurs and Russian knights et al? Also could you recommend any other fictional Arthur books, just to last me till the Last Kingdom? Damian

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

I haven't seen the movie and I probably won't, only because those of my friends who have seen it say that it is dire. Everyone claims their version of Arthur is the untold true story! The real untold true story is that we don't know what the true story is. My favourite is T.H. White's The Once and Future King.

Q

Mr. Cornwell, thank you for the Sharpe books, some of my favorite reading every(and I have over 3000 books). I hope you're working on something new???? Mike Walls

Can you please tell me if you anticipate writing another Sharpe book in the near future? If so, can you give me some idea as to when? I eagerly await your next one!! Colin Dougan

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

I do anticipate it. I even expect to begin it as soon as I've finished the book I'm writing now, which is the follow-up to The Last Kingdom - so Sharpe should be behaving badly again by this autumn.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I love all the books you have written, and read them all over and over again!! I do have a small question however, why does Sharpe's style of speech change throughout his career from the unpolished to the exact and slightly stiff style he demonstrates when he finally commands his own battalion? I appreciate he has grown up and matured but I am curious all the same! Also.... why does Sweet William behave so rudely towards Sharpe in Sharpe's Waterloo? And why does Sharpe let him get away with it? Is it simply jealousy over Sharpe's new married state? I felt sorry for Richard!!! thank you so much for many many hours of blissfull reading!!!! Emma Sheppard.

Submitted July 26, 2004

A

Sharpe's speech changes because peoples' style of speech change as their circumstances change. I can't think of another reason! As for Sweet William - Sweet William was in love with Lucille and felt hard done by, which he was.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, In Sharpe you mention Forlorn Hope volunteers several times and judging by the amount of research that goes into your books I assume you know an awful lot about them. I wonder if you could impart some of that information to me to help with my research on the subject for my degree. Specifically, I have found reference to a Forlorn Hope medal which I assume was awarded to surviving volunteers. I have contacted the Sealed Knot and received some information on the medal during the English Civil War, though information on its use after this time (particularly during the Napoleonic Wars) is hard to come by. Any information on the Forlorn Hope groups or the medal, or anywhere you can point me to do my own research would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance Nathan

Submitted July 23, 2004

A

I know nothing about the English Civil War practice. In the Napoleonic Wars no medal was given for members of a Forlorn Hope, though the officer commanding it would usually receive a promotion, and the sergeant would probably receive a battlefield commission. I have heard that the badge of an oak-leaf wreath was given to men who survived, but I can't vouch for the truth of it and have never seen such a badge. There were not, as such, regulations covering this, but rather an inherited code of practice, which simply reckoned that the first men into a defended breach were so likely to die that the job was reserved for volunteers. Forlorn Hopes were not always used - it was up to the general commanding, but they were usually employed and there was no shortage of volunteers. The best discussion of this, which I think you'd find useful, is in Richard Holmes's Redcoat (in the chapter headed The Imminent Deadly Breach).

Q

Hi, I love the Sharpe books (indeed, most of your others too) and you are right, it has led me on to reading non-fiction books regarding that period. My question is, are there any plans to reissue the Sharpe books in hardback? Regards Graham

Submitted July 23, 2004

A

No plans at this time.