Your Questions

Q

Just sending a quick message to ask what ever happened to Colonel Evans after Ball's bluff, because I don't know where else to look besides here. Also (and this is just the perfectionist in me), someone sent in a message about Sean Bean playing Ullyses in a film ('Troy', I presume). If it was about that film, then he played Oddysius, not Ullyses.... Gearoid Joyce

Submitted July 12, 2004

A

After Ball's Bluff Evans was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of a brigade that was nicknamed the 'Tramp Brigade'. He fought at Second Manassas, South Mountain and Antietam - then moved to Johnston's army and was at Vicksburg. It was not a successful career - he was a drunk and was tried (acquitted, admittedly) for intoxication, tried again for disobeying orders, sort of fades out of the army for the last part of the war - survived and became a High School principal at Midway, Alabama.
You're right - Sean Bean was excellent in "Troy", and where I come from Odysseus and Ulysses are the same person.

Q

I loved your Arthur books. I see that a new Arthur movie is going to be released soon. Did you have anything to do with that movie? I hope so. Kathryn Brown

Submitted June 29, 2004

A

No I don't - sorry!

Q

Mr. Cornwell, First let me begin by saying thanks for autographing the two sharpes' shortstories that my mom got me for my birthday back in April. I apologize for not thanking you earlier. Second, to answer the question about Leroy being from Boston or Virginia; the answer depends on the medium-- in the books he is from Boston and in the mini-series in Shapre's Eagle he is apparently from Virginia. Now Sir, my question that urgently needs answering, well , maybe not urgently, but is the upcoming saxon book going to be released in the US as well as in the UK in October? Anthony Newton

Submitted June 29, 2004

A

Thanks for that information! The Last Kingdom is scheduled for release in the US on January 1, 2005, but I understand it should be in bookshops in the US before Christmas. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com (go to The Last Kingdom book page on this website to find a link directly to Amazon.).

Q

Dear Bernard, I have read and re-read most of the Sharpe books several times now and never get tired of them. I'm saving Escape and the Grail Quest's Heretic for my holiday on Rhodes in a month's time (beautiful island with a rich history, I'm sure you could find a lot of material there if you had the time). But I digress. The reason for this communication is that I have a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind taking the time to answer. 1) Can't remember which Sharpe book it is but Sharpe remembers one of Hogan's favourite sayings as being "to cap a pie". Sharpe doesn't know what it means and neither do I. Could you enlighten me please. 2) In a few books the enemy believes that Wellington 'Can defend, but is no good at attack'. Did he really have that reputation? If so I can't imagine why! Thanks for time and for all the enjoyment. Regards, Ed

Submitted June 24, 2004

A

Can't remember which book it is either! Sharpe was almost certainly remembering him saying 'cap a pie' with an accent on the 'a', which I got from Shakespeare (Henry V??) and is a phrase used in England from (at least) the 15th century onwards and was probably pronounced cap - a - pee-ay - and comes from the Old French and means head (cap) to toe (pie - from pied, foot) and simply means armed from head to toe - fearsomely ready.

This was very much the reputation the French attached to Wellington - though after 1812 it began to fade away (battle of Salamanca). In some ways it is understandable because he was very fond of inviting the French to attack him in positions he knew were suited to a defensive battle, and they usually obliged him and always lost. But, as Assaye should have shown them, and Salamanca and Vitoria displayed ruthlessly, he was just as lethal in attack.

Q

Mr.Cornwell, my friends and I love your books I've read both the Warlord triology and the grail quest and I'm almost finished the Sharpe books, but what I was really wondering is about a movie that came out recently. Timeline where people travel back to the 100 years wa. What I noticed is the French were using archers instead of crossbow men which you point out in the grail quest that the main French forces used. I was just wondering if that was just a Hollywood screw up or did the French really use archers and what did you think of Hollywood's job of recreating the 100 years war? Josh

Submitted June 23, 2004

A

A Hollywood screw-up - or else the props department decided longbows are cheaper to produce than crossbows, in which case it's still a Tinseltown screw-up. The French did occasionally have Scottish lonbowmen, but never enough to make a difference.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell: I'm curious about the genesis of characters in your writing. How do you develop your characters? What's the process from inspiration to the page? Peter Shea

Submitted June 23, 2004

A

I wish I could answer that cogently, but it's sort of an unconscious process - a character is introduced and, like our houseplants, they either thrive or die. Some characters, like Nairn in the Sharpe books, were only meant to appear for a page or two to perform an essential plot function, but just take over the whole book instantly. It's wonderful when that happens, and rare, and typical, I fear, of the whole hit and miss nature of the process.

Q

I'm reading Sharpe's Honour. LtCol Leroy is said to be from New England. Wasn't he from Virginia? Am I confused? Guy E. Orr

Submitted June 22, 2004

A

I always thought it was New England. Maybe I got confused somewhere. Maybe his family moved?

Q

First, I want to tell you that I am so glad my youngest son gave me Sharpe's Gold to read when I visited him in Beaufort, SC. I have now read half of the series and am passing them on to my other 4 sons. My youngest is sending me all the Starbuck Chronicles also. I can't resist asking why you picked the Starbuck name as my great grandmother was a Starbuck from Nantucket and I am a southerner from North Carolina! Ada Jo Burke

Submitted June 22, 2004

A

I picked it - and before the coffee appeared - because it's a terrifically romantic surname, and because, of course, the Starbucks were an old Nantucket family. I got really pissed off when an American reviewer sniffily said it was a very 'unAmerican' name - and wondered if he had ever read Moby Dick?

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I've collected quite a few of your stories and have just reread for probably the fifth time the Grail Quest series. I'm an avid reader of history, and have enjoyed your books because of that. Currently I'm reading the Black Prince and his Age by John Harvey. In the book, he states that Sir William Douglas was at King John II's side during and before the battle of Poiters September 19, 1356. Is this the same William Douglas whose nephew is portrayed in your grail series as Robbie Douglas? Just curious as to the connection. thanks, Cory

Submitted June 22, 2004

A

A different William Douglas - the one who was at Poitiers murdered the one in my books - for real - they were related, so this yet another close and loving family.

Q

Mr Cornwell,
I've followed the exploits of Sharpe (and now the Grail quest) since the early days and would like to thank you profusely for your work and your art - I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of them including the latest (Sharpe's Escape) which I've just finished. My question is that the French tactic of forming "battering ram" columns seems to have little success (they always seem to be bled to death by the British lines); is this accurate? Or were the columns just not as effective against the British infantry in comparison with other armies?
Thank you for your time. Andrew Barlow

Submitted June 22, 2004

A

It was much more effective against other armies, mainly because the only troops to practice with live ammunition were the British (weird, but true), and so the British were able to generate far more defensive firepower - a fact that enabled them to form a line two ranks deep instead of three, thus increasing their enfilading power. Also, as Napoleon noted, the column technique only worked well when the defenders had been shredded by artillery, but Wellington's tactic of posting his defensive lines on reverse slopes meant that the French were usually denied this advantage. They kept trying though, mainly because the column could be successful and was the easiest tactic to use with conscript troops who had not (could not) spent years in training.