Your Questions

Dear Mr Cornwell,

First let me say that your books are extra ordinally awesome, and I have been a fan of Sharpe since I read the first ever Sharpe novel.  Not to say but the others are great also.  I was wondering if you ever intended to write more in the Starbuck Chronicles, although I understand the Saxon Tales and Sharpe have been extremely popular.

Best wishes

Bill Drisko

PS wishing you and your family a very Merry

 

Hello! So, I just finished the Starbuck series. Bravo, brilliant! However, one thing comes to mind and has lingered to the point I feel like I must ask. In advance let me say, it is my understanding that you’ve opted to leave Nate off to his fate- as each reader imagines it. But, I don’t believe we’ve seen this character at his lowest, we haven’t seen him beaten. We’ve seen him ride the initial swells of Confederate victories, of course. In the “little story” we watched as he struggled personally, rallying, overcoming, and while I won’t saying reaching triumph, I will settle on contented acceptance. But we all know this isn’t the real story, and I feel it’s a disservice to the character not to follow through the unavoidable failures. Can his department, thus story, truly be complete without it? Admittedly, as a reader I could give an ending myself, but we both know yours would be much better! So, will I know it’s almost a hopeless cause, may I subtly urge you to led the Great Starbuck through failure, if not for the readers alone, but also for good ol Nate! The “big story” must bring something to the “little story” that isn’t the tragedy the South felt of it’s cause. Oh, but if this really isn’t you’re thing, thanks for the entertainment this far!

Rebecca Pfeifer

Good morning, after watching the series several times and reading the books. (Much better) I’ve read Sharpies story in chronological order and picked up some mistakes. I’m sure you know about them but I’ve just for my own sanity put it down to Sharpe not remembering the facts correctly! Haha

Anyway, Is Sharpe’s story done? Any plans on a remake or new film? Rewatching Sharpes enemy after reading the book… realised the series wasn’t great compared to the original. I guess it was a budget thing so couldn’t get the numbers.

Anyway, thanks for having this here. It’s nice to be able to write to someone who you admire.

Warmest regards

Mark

Hello Mr. Cornwell,

First I would like to say that I really enjoy all of your writings. I have a question dealing with The Last Kingdom series. I seem to recall in one of the books (not sure which) Uhtred talking about arm-rings and Thors hammers and there importance to warriors. He spoke of taking them off of notable enemies he has fought and vanquished. I swear I read that in one novel he had the hammers of the vikings he's defeated integrated into the bottom links of his chain mail to be imposing to his enemies (just like arms full of arm-rings). Please clarify if I have read this correctly. It has become quite a debate between a friend who has also read the series and I. Thank you so much for your time. SKAL!

Michael

I have a great interest in the Napoleonic period and love researching the various actions and campaigns. I also love reading the historical fiction covering the period.  On the fiction side I have read the Sharpe books and watched the Sharpe Dramas. However, I noticed the next one might not be available until 2023 and it made me think of future Sharpe novels. You probably have had other suggestions sent to you, but I hoped this one might interest you because it involves an allied foreign battalion of German, Italian, French, and Polish deserters, who were given baker rifles. And who better to teach them how to use the rifles than Sharpe? It is a smaller action than the main battles of the Peninsular War and a rare defeat for the allies, due to a variety of reasons, but it involves a very interesting mix of  nationalities and characters,  I wrote a two part article about the action in Miniature Wargames magazine, Issues No 298, February 2008 & Issue No 300, April 2008,  entitled Fuengirola 1810. Some of the characters involved make for some great reading and the action has also been covered by author George Nafziger in Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars (pages 104-109) and also in an interesting article in The Journal of Military History, Vol 64, No1, January 2000 by Thomas M.Barker.  Sharpe would have a field day with the allied commanders and who knows what he would make of the 'foreign' rifle battalion. Anyway, it is just a suggestion and I look forward to the next Sharpe novel.

John Walsh

As well as eagerly anticipate the release of Sharpe's Command next year, may I be so bold as to ask what you're thinking about regarding a book after that? More Sharpe? Something else?

Michael

Hi Mr Cornwell,

One of my favourite characters in the Sharpe series has always been Frederickson, I Always wanted to know a bit of his background. Like Sharpe he doesn't seem like a typical officer from that time ( a gentleman) was he also raised from the ranks ?

Looking forward to the next Sharpe adventure

Jack

My question which period of history do you find easier to set you books in? Is it the Sharpe era where the movements of the armies and the development of the battle are well known and hence give structure to the storey. Or is the Uhtred time where the details are less well, or even unknown to allow you more freedom to develop the plot lines as you wish?

Bob Wood

Mr Cornwell,

having recently been reminded of your friendly chat with Mr GRR Martin (now some years in the past, yet I still keep wondering what sort of havoc your characters might wreck, handed actual dragons - the image of Lord Uhtred with his very own living flamethrower is one to make any peaceable soul shiver), I was then somehow moved to wonder:

What sort of person would you be most interested in writing about, were you to write a story set in the Middle Ages that did not follow the Men of War? (This question might more elegantly be phrased as "What aspects of Medieval society outside wartime do you find the most inherently interesting?").

Now that I consider this question, it occurs to me that the connection between your chat with Mr Martin and this particular query might well be the notion of "Mr Bernard Cornwell off the beaten track" (one hopes this is not too insolent a way to phrase things and can only apologise if it is).

Thank You in advance for your consideration and Best Wishes.

E D

I just finished War Lord. I am sorry that we will hear no more from Uhtred but can understand why his time is done.

I was, however, intrigued by the historical events which War Lord covered. The site of Brunanburh battle was of interest as I grew up in the Wirral and have family there. I am just curious why this battle has not received the same attention as others in our history. We hear about Hastings, Bosworth, Culloden but nothing on Brunanburh. I played many rounds of golf at Brackenwood before moving to Australia, without realising that a significant historical event had taken place there. In fact, I was not aware of that event until recently. I feel ashamed that I studied English history to A level at school and am now, at the advanced age of 68, only just finding out about an event that actually happened in the neighbourhood where I grew up. As you say, this event was as significant as the Battle of Yorktown to the history of the USA.

Just as an FYI, I grew up in Prenton and the Roman road mentioned in War Lord I assume is one which runs close by the M53 near to Prenton Golf Course. Am I right?

Chris Stubbs

Hello,

Waterloo your only Non Fiction book was illustrated with prints etc. None of your Fiction, excepting the Cover are illustrated!

Is this your choice or the publisher?

Regards,

Adrian