Your Questions

Thanks for many hours of self indulgence when I should have been engaged in DIY or some other mindless task. I have a question. Is Sir Guillaume's moated castle and Sharpe's idylic French mill/farm one and the same? Gary Waywell

Hello. Thanks for the Sharpe series - they've displaced Hornblower as my favourite "rereading in the loo 'till I get pins and needles" books. I'm looking forward to "Escape", (I prefer paperbacks, so it may be a while). Like many others, I'd love to see a sequel (or even a prequel, perhaps) to Gallows Thief. I've got it on tape, which is excellent - a TV adaptation would be marvellous, as long as Carlton weren't involved. I've only seen positive reaction to the series, but I'm not impressed so far, having just bought the DVD set and watched Sharpe's Eagle. I noticed you don't watch TV (nor do I, on the whole - the DVDs were an excuse to be more sociable, as I tend to hide upstairs when the telly is on!), but have you seen the Carlton stuff, and what do you think (I guess you may have to be circumspect if you didn't like them)? Thanks again. Graham Nicholls

First edition hardback copies of Sharpes Sword are way beyond my budget. The high prices are usually blamed on a low print run (500). I wondered why the run was so small? Yours Andrew McLaren

Hello. Just a quick note to say that I first read your books when I was at boarding school. It was a grim time sometimes but I do remember finding a battered copy of Sharpe's Gold in the school library, hurray! I spent many a dull weekend following Sharpe and Harper all over Spain and India. I even managed to convert some of my mates who also read the books, and my copy of Sharpe's Trafalgar was well read by about 20 people and is heavily re-inforced with cellotape! Anyhow, I've read the bulletin board and I've noticed that there is a glimmer of hope in rousing Sharpe from Lucille's Farm after Sharpe's Escape is there a possibility in Sharpe strapping on the sword belt for one last time? James Walkerdine

By my reckoning, Richard Sharpe would be76 by 1853, not to old for a British general in those days. Was he involved in the Crimean War at all? William W. Gill

Mr Cornwell, by dumb luck I found a used Sharpe's Rifles in a half priced bookstore many years ago and have purchased all your novels since. I eagerly await each new book. I too waited, as others to read about Starbuck at Appomattox. I also looked everywhere for a sequel to the great Redcoat novel. It seemed such an obvious choice for a series. Why no sequel? You ended the story in midstream. Would you please continue the series for Redcoat? Gary Elliott

I finished reading your book, "Redcoat" this afternoon and wanted to let you know how very much I enjoyed it. I have read many of your other novels and enjoyed them all. My question is, why in all the FAQ's was there never any mention of "Redcoat"? And, I was disappointed to find no reference of any further books about the redcoat, Sam Gilpin. I would highly recommend this book and only wish you had continued the story in another book or two. It had such possibilities for Sam, Caroline and Mrs. Crowl. Keep writing and thank you for some most enjoyable reads! Joline

Hello, Mr. Cornwell, We met a couple of times at the Sharpe convention. I have never joined a fan club in my teens because I thought no one was really worth such adoration. Well things have changed since I was made to read a Sharpe book. I am addicted! I have always written stories starting with children's tales and gone on to older audiences (I wrote for my children) but I have never had the courage or conviction to get them published. However, my question: How do you keep track of all your "players'" characters and idiosynchrasies? Do you keep a journal? (I have tried this and still made mistakes three books later). Do your proof readers pick up any mistakes? And has it happen you had to rewrite parts of your books because of it? Keep writing, PLEASE! Your insights are fantastic. Thank you for your books and your time! Susanne Young-Hotz

Dear Mr Cornwell, I have been a great fan of yours since seeing the Sharpe TV series, which lead me onto the books, although when I read them I can't help but picture Sean Bean, not a dark haired, scarred Londoner. I have read all your books, except the Starbucks, which I hope to read soon. My favourite are the Warlord trilogy. My first question is about the Arthur film that is to be released later this year, which has been billed as a more 'factual' version than previous renditions. Is this based in anyway on your books? My second question is about the grail quest. Hookton is described as south of dorchester, which currently, is the town of weymouth. Although Hookton was destroyed, at the end of Heretic, thomas returns there at the time the black death is in europe. Historically, the black death was first in england 1348, melcombe regis, a borough of weymouth. Are you implying that Thomas was responsable for the black death in england. Am also looking forward to the new sharpe, will there be anymore? Rgds, Paul Childs

Dear Mr Cornwell, First let me thank you for all the pleasure that reading your books has given me. I find your notes at the back very interesting. (The last, Gallows Thief, I read in NZ and passed it on to a Kiwi friend fascinated by English history!) I was interested in your notes in this book, about the almost carnival atmosphere at a public hanging. My late mother left me a collection of lace bobbins; the shaft of one is decorated with the name 'W Worsley hung 1868'. She found that he was William Worsley but I haven't found out anything more about him. Do you know whether commemorative bobbins like this one would have been made to peddle at hangings? Or might this have been an occasional thing, for relatives of the victim perhaps? I'd be interested to hear what you might know - many thanks, Juliet Lewis

Dear Mr. Cornwell, please could you tell me the inspiration for the name "Sharpe" in your marvellous novels. Many thanks, Sue Winch