Your Questions

Dear Bernard

First of all let me say if you've not read it, can I recommend Alexander Mikaberidze fantastic biography of Kutuzov A Life in War and Peace. If there is one new Napoleonic Wars book you should read its that one. Kutuzov is a truly fascinating contradictory character and he was much more than just as he was portrayed by Tolstoy or Soviet era propaganda.

2nd I know you've said in the past your not terribly excited by the Crimean War but I did wonder if you'd ever thought of a 1 off book on the Battle of Inkerman which is considered the soldiers battle of the British Army?  Generalship such as it was in that fight was minimal, it was down simply to individual British Soldiers and Units.

Regards

Geraint

Good morning Sir,

Thank you for writing such fantastic series. One of our bookcases is entirely devoted to them be it with Sharpe, Uhtred Ragnarson, Nathaniel Starbuck or your Arthurian novels.

I am just finishing the 4th volume of the Starbuck  chronicles that “ended” in September 1862 at Antietam, published in 1996, with the hopeful message in your “history notes”  that Starbuck would march again.

However, even searching high and low, I can not find him. With regrets.

You are probably tired of being asked these questions but I would really appreciate it if you could confirm that you have laid Starbuck to rest forever, the remaining 3 years of that American conflict being too repetitive for another good plot ? And yet….

I have, thanks to you Sir, actually delved into that period of American history with relish, visiting, with google maps and Wikipedia, the various locations and people described in detail in your tales.

I hope the present ghastly “ woke “ movement that is stupid enough to want to rewrite history and unseat statues is not the main reason for your silence.

Being French and Cartesian-minded, I wish people would come to their senses and stop their idiotic useless “crusades” that only belittles them.

Funnily enough Le Figaro, a French national newspaper, this weekend published or allowed me to read an article about young French “observers” of noble stock who joined McLellan army and were utterly bored for not allowed to join the fray, amongst them the 24 year old comte de Paris.

Wishing you a very happy New Year, and hoping that indeed Starbuck may march again, I remain, yours faithfully.

Elisabeth Ashworth

 

Greetings, Mr. Cornwell.

First, I hear you had some health issues. Hope you feel better by now.

I have the annoying habit of underestimating certain time periods. I guess I created a certain resistance towards them out of pure arrogance and the consequence is the complete disregard of the books that take place on those timeframes. I should say that my favorites are ancient (not a time specifically but you get the point) and medieval. So my knee jerk reaction is to not even check them out.

I do that frequently and very seldom I change my mind and pick the poor books up. I confess I´ve done this to some of your books.

I was absolutely and immediately captivated by the Grail Quest and Uhtred series. But Sharpe, Warlord and Gallows Thief were completely ignored, until very recently in the case of the last two (I did a 180 on Sharpe a long time ago). I breezed through Warlord and enjoyed Gallows Thief very much - I know you don´t have any more books planned on this but you´ll have a supporter if you change your mind.

The reason for all this rambling is that I wanted to congratulate and commend you on your abilities. It´s astonishing how well you can do research and create a story about so different periods of time.

 

You´ve said before that your favorite time period is the Napoleonic Wars and of course you focus on English history. Do you like any other time periods? Any other cultures? Enough to write about them?

 

Thanks for all the reading hours you provided and please, please keep writing.

Tiago

 

Hi Mr.Cornwell,

I've read every book you've written and you are still my favorite author, I was saddened to read on a previous comment that you will not be continuing the Starbuck chronicles, I understand how, at the time, Mr. Sharpe kind of took over but would you ever consider bringing Starbuck back? I know I'm not alone in thinking about this but also realise that you can't just knock out a book without the research which make your books the best.

Kevin Steer

sir,

Whatever happened to the French women that Sharpe was with after Jane Gibbons stole his money.  I was wondering because in the next film, he was embroiled with someone new.   thank you very much.

Scott Burkey

Dear Bernard

I saw this Wiki Article of the Hanover Expedition that Wellington was a part of that many might not be aware off and I thought you might find of interest to read.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanover_Expedition

Also I always wondered if you'd be tempted on a Spin off with Frederickson to Battles that Sharpe missed like the Siege of San Sebastian, War of 1812 etc. He even talks to Sharpe about that Siege in (ironically) Sharpe's Siege after all and Sharpe can't get to it as he was doing Sharpe's Regiment

Regards

Geraint

Can please recommend the best biography of Alfred the Great and perhaps a non-fiction recommendation of the history of that era. I love your books and they have generated a desire to read more about the history and characters of that era.

Thank you so much

Claudea Treckeme

 

I am a long time fan especially of the king Arthur series and have introduced them to my son who names you as one of his favorite authors as well. I just this morning finished the Starbuck series. The last thing you wrote was that he will fight again. I truly need to know what happens to him but read your answer to the question of will there be another Starbuck book and you said no. I am sad to leave him there with part of his face missing and not know what becomes of him. If you can not write another book can you just tell me your thoughts as to how he ends up? Is there to be no happy ending for Nate? Thank you for your time!

Gretchen

It is great to see the new Sharpe book Assassin and that another is on the way. I must admit I consume this in the audio format. Do you know if William Gaminara will be hired to read Assassin and Command?  He, for me, is Sharpe and I just love his interpretation of the character. Thank you.

Tim Nicholls

Dear Mr Cornwell.

The Warlord series (ahead of Lustbader's Sunset Warrior sequence) are my favourite books of all time and come out routinely once a year to be read. I have been a lifelong scholar of all things Arthurian (especially Geoffrey Ashe books) but despite my fanaticism, understand that any documented info of a British Warlord of that time you could barely fill one side of A4 sheet of paper.So of course I was besotted with your portrayal of Arthur in the Winter King etc. It being as accurate and authentic as you could be under the circumstances.I appreciate the lengths you must have gone to for the end product.

I am just concerned that the TV adaptation of it by Bad Wolf will be marred.Your beautiful trilogies characters will be politicized as they did with their adaptation of His Dark Materials instead of keeping true to those in your book. I pray I am wrong as I enjoyed the Last Kingdom immensely.

Is there measures to keep the TV series true to your novels?

Regards

RioTharmus.