Your Questions

Q

Hello,

Towards the end of "From Russia with Love", Sean Connery a.k.a James Bond is strafed by a helicopter.  It does not appear in Ian  Fleming's novel of that name.This scene was written specifically for the film. It was a homage to Hitchcock's North By North West, where Cary Grant is strafed by a crop duster . This is quiet common in Film and T.V. What about in literature? Are  there are scenes in your books which is a homage to one of your favourite writers/books? Given your background in T.V you would be more aware of this than other writers!

Regards and thanks,

Adrian.

Submitted October 5, 2016

A

The only one is mentioning Matthew Dodd in the book about Busaco – if you remember he was the Greenjacket who gets separated from his regiment (at Busaco) and is the hero of C.S.Forester’s Death to the French.

Q

Having read your books out of sequence, I knew that at some point Uhtred and Atheflaed connected as lovers even though she was just a child when they first met.  Although their bond plays a key role in several books, you seem to have downplayed intentionally the time at which they connected. (Burning Land)  I wondered why.  I'm not asking about having some major sex scene (that's not your style) but the connection is so subtle one could almost miss it. And it's never addressed in any way, just treated as if it had always been there and nothing out of the ordinary.  Yet it was a huge change and had significant consequence, and risks, for both them.

Rosemary

Submitted October 5, 2016

A

To be honest I don’t remember writing about their getting together . . . I’m sure you’re right, mea culpa then.

 

Q

As the ggggrandson of Lt Henry Wilkinson, (Waterloo Medal) 40th Reg of Foot, I have found the Sharpe series fascinating as it has brought my ancestors life alive. From my early research it appears his Regt (and possibly him) was with Sharpe all the way from Portugal !!

Is there a way of researching Regt records to discover more about his service?

I am a tragic I am rereading all your books while awaiting your next gem

Cheers

Ross Bird

Melbourne, Australia

Submitted October 5, 2016

A

I’m not sure what the destiny of the 40th was! During the Peninsular War they were (I think) a Somersetshire regiment, but by 1899 they are listed as The Prince of Wales Volunteers, South Lancashire Regiment! That’s some leap.  There is a brilliant website (sorry, I lost the URL in a computer meltdown) that lists as many records from the British Army from the 17th century onwards – if you Google British Army Records I suspect you’ll find it quickly. You’re right about the 40th’s service – they were in the Peninsula the whole way!  I just Googled ‘40th Regiment of Foot’ and came up with a slew of websites – happy hunting!

 

 

Q

Dear Sir,

I love your work and always will. I only have one issue please and, although I know you are asked the question frequently, when will we learn what happened to Starbuck? I have read and re-read those four books and have waited almost 20 years to know. I'm now a little old in the tooth and fear I may not be around to learn what I do so want to know .... PLEASE!!!

Roger Sillence

 

Mr. Cornwell,

love all your books.

Do you have any plans to finish the Starbuck series???

All the best

Jeff

 

Hi Bernard,

have just finished the Starbuck Chronicles. All of them are great reads. Was only wondering (and hoping greatly), to use a phrase that is at the end of my favourite books, will Starbuck march again?

I am also a massive fan of the Sharpe series, Grail series and of Uthred too. Im Pretty much an all round Cornwell fan haha.

Ben Lyttle

Submitted October 5, 2016

A

I hope I'll have the chance to return to Starbuck one of these days....

Q

I was told that if Wellington had used the same number of men with long bows instead of men with muskets he could have won more easily at Waterloo. What do you think?

Richard Huberman

Submitted October 5, 2016

A

It's possible.  The longbow was a far more effective weapon than the musket - more accurate, faster rate of fire - and in any clash between longbows and muskets, the longbows would have won easily.  The Duke of Wellington tried to raise a corps of longbowmen, but there were none to be had.  It took years - ten or more years - for a man to master the longbow, and no-one used it much after the 15th century (some in the 16th - the Mary Rose  -Henry VIII's flagship - had bowmen aboard). The longbow, simple as it is, was just too difficult to aim, and required enormous upper body strength, and it faded away.  Anyone could fire a musket, and it only took a few days to train a musketeer.

 

 

 

Q

Hi Bernard,

I know I've asked you before but there needs an historical account of Isandlwana, Rorkes drift and Ulundi along the same lines as the Sharp novels, from the eyes of the enlisted. I used to live in Zululand, South Africa and the history is incredible. The landscape is untouched where these battles were fought, there are still stories told from relatives of the Zulu warriors that were in all three battles, a mine of information colour and history. Washing of the spears is very good as a reference but as a novel it is too clinical. The stories deserve your pen. You've no doubt seen Zulu and Zulu dawn, maybe even Shaka Zulu.  Zulu was partly the reason I chose to leave England in 1984 to live and work there 15 yrs. Please give it some thought Bernard and thanks you for reading my message

Peter Aller

Submitted October 5, 2016

A

I have given it some thought....but time is short and I fear it's not likely to happen.

Q

Discovered you recently.. thoroughly enjoying the Last Kingdom novels.

Any plans for a William the Conqueror series?

Rob Sparkes

Submitted September 30, 2016

A

No plans for it....

Q

Mr. Cornwell,

I now live up the road from your Charleston home (DeBordieu in Georgetown), after leaving Maryland, are you scheduled for any book signings in the area in the near future?  I started with Starbuck and just finished the Warriors of the Storm.  Anything you or Jeff Shaara write are immediately desired.  Thanks for all the reading pleasure.

Roy Siegel

 

Submitted September 30, 2016

A

I do not have anything on the schedule for Charleston - but you never know.  Check the homepage of this website now and again as all my book signing events are posted there.

Q

I'm sure I'm the first person to ask the following question.  Is the series dead now on BBC or is the second season coming?  I really enjoyed it regardless. I've read just a couple of your but plan to read more thanks to the series reigniting my interest in your books. Thanks for such a good story and I look forward to reading more of the series where the tv show left off.

Mark Bohlsen

Submitted September 30, 2016

A

They are filming the second season now!  Hopefully it will be ready to be aired early next spring.

Q

Recently had the honour and privilege of a tiny involvement in the filming of "The Last Kingdom" (second series) and its going to be awesome! My question to you is, in the same way Sean Bean actually became Richard Sharpe in your mind when you wrote(Ive heard you intimate that, I'm sure), has Alex become Uhtred in the same way?

David M

Submitted September 30, 2016

A

Not to the same extent!  The factor here being that Alexander (whose portrait of Uhtred is splendid!) is young in the TV series and I'm writing a much older Uhtred.