Your Questions

Hi Mr.Cornwell

I have two question.

1-Cerdic of Wessex and in Warlord Chronicles Cerdic are same person ?

2-Do you think write about Genghis Khan ?

Thank you.

Borçu

Dear Bernard

I have been a fan of yours ever since I discovered 4 or 5 of your Sharpe series books at a garage sale. Since then I have read all of your books ... many of them several times. The way you create a mythical character and insert him into history is simply marvelous. I have probably enjoyed Azincourt, Sharpe's Waterloo and A crowning Mercy even more than the others. Just wondering if one day you will be writing a book about 1066, the Battle  of Hastings?

Thanks very much for all  the enjoyment you have brought.

Wayne Farrow

I just discovered Bernard Cornwell last year and now have read almost all of your books. Love the TV series and can only hope that Netflix will continue to produce the entire book series. Awesome casting. The TV series really brings the text to life. Any chance they could also redo the Sharpe series since the original series was done prior to many of the books?

Richard Peterson

In the Grail books, where did you choose the Vexille family name?  Does it derive from a cursed banishment? Or reference to flags/ insignia?  Thank you.

Mark May

Having finished rereading these for the umpteenth time, I had a question relating to a statement you made on the 'Writing Advice' section of your website. You mention that if you had the chance, you would rewrite the first third of The Winter King; I was interested to know what it is that bugs you about this section, and what you would change?

Thanks from a longtime fan

Ben

Hello there, Mr. Bernard,

As a guy who loves to draw bad-ass dudes with swords and other such weapons, your books have given me tons of inspiration! I would love to draw Uhtred, and other characters, to illustrate some of the awesome scenes that you write. So my question is, would you ever publish fan art on your site?  Also, have you ever thought about having illustrations in any of your books? Thanks for the great reads!

Clayton Hinkle

 

I love the last kingdom  story but I never see a black women in it! Was no black people in that time? I feel like it is only  for  white  if I say I am watching the last kingdom to my friends  their reaction is what???? Never  heard of it...... I will audition for it😊😊 but seriously think about it????

Mekdes

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I'm writing you asking for a little help (if you don't mind, obviously...) Right now I'm helping one of my friends in a project for the university related to historical jewelry and complements.This days we are investigating about beard rings and we found in "The Winter King" a fragment that specially interested us:

 

"He was a huge man with tattooed arms, a matted bare chest and a bristling beard decorated with warrior rings forged from the weapons of defeated enemies."

 

Our questions are, have you seen any of those beard rings? have you found any reference about them in any historical text? if you did where could we find references?

Thank you in advance.

 

Marc Arambudo

I am re-reading the Sharpe series in the chronology of the story, and I was struck by the detail of Sharpe having Gulliver's Travels in his haversack, as he progresses in learning to read. I cannot help but wonder if this was intended as a metaphor for the venality of man, as seems to come forth in your story, with Sharpe's struggles torn between McCandles and Pohlmann. I did not want to presume though.

Thank-you for your writings, which kept me entertained for decades.

John Kennair

I was thinking about the Europe-wide dimension of this activity.

The context is I just came across Christopher Dawson's book "Religion and the Rise of Western Culture", which is actually a reprint of a (second) series of Gifford Lectures that he delivered in Edinburgh.

Dawson is interesting inasmuch as he has the ambition, and breadth of learning, of someone like Toynbee (or earlier German scholars) and I think no-one would attempt so much now. But maybe, reservations on one side, there's something to be said for making the attempt. So here's what he says:

"... the victory of Eudes at Montfaucon in 888, and the still more important success of Arnulf in 891, when he stormed the camp of the main Viking army at Louvain, marked the turn of the tide. The Vikings once more diverted their efforts against King Alfred in the great invasion of 892-96 ..."

Doesn't this elegantly make the point that there's a wider context to the Viking incursions than merely what Englishmen would think of as "our national story" (though it is that too)? The Northmen were operating on a wider stage and mightn't have undertaken the Great Invasion had they not failed at Louvain. What a thought!

Michael