Your Questions

I am an avid reader of your books and have collected and read the books of the Warrior Chronicles many times .Can you please tell me what became of the character of Cedric as he seems to have disappeared after the final battle in Death of Kings.I did not find any mention of his death but he does not appear in subsequent books.

Many thanks for hours of reading pleasure

Michael Lewis

After reading the entire series, up to The Warriors of the Storm, in the last month (I promise I do have a life), do you have an idea of how many books you plan for the series? I am looking forward to The Flame Bearer, even with the 2 month wait.

Josh Beaver

Dear Mr. Cornwell:

I just finished your excellent book The Fort. I grew up in Searsport across Penobscot Bay from Castine and when I attended high school there in the mid 1960s no one talked about the Penobscot Expedition. I later figured out why: there were so many Tory sympathizers and collaborators that Maine was denied statehood for 30 years.

There was a prominent Tory named Capt. John Perkins who rode his horse all the way to Halifax and begged the British to set up shop in Castine. Yet he is buried in Castine and never faced a public hanging or even a good tar & feathering.

In your research did you find if there are any contemporary portraits of John Perkins? Any memoirs or autobiography? I've asked this of the Wilson Museum and the Castine Historical Society and no reply.

I went to the State Museum in Augusta in 1991 and tried again two months ago to see the Defence Exhibit. It is hidden away out of sight. Even today people in Maine don't want to talk about it.

Every state had its loyalists. South Carolina is a case in point. Many years ago I visited the town of Ninety-Six, SC 29696. There is a Revolutionary War fort earthwork there with a big mural that shows blue clad Patriots in a fierce musket and bayonet fight against local Tories. You cannot tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Like Castine, lot of history but no visitor center and no NPS park rangers with Smokey Bear hats.

Your novel makes references to the Banks and Dyce families. I went to high school with several descendants of the Hatch family; my principal was a gentleman named Bob Perkins; my neighbor across the street was a Mr. & Mrs. Banks.

What have you discovered in your research? Did John Perkins ever have a deathbed confession expressing any remorse or contrition? Any pictures of him?

Thank you for your assistance.

Dave Taylor

 

I just finished Warriors of the Storm, having read all of your other books as well.

Great reads!

Your observations of Christianity are new. I recall Uhtred thinking of how the priests talk to the dead....something like that. Also, the "nailed god".

Where did these concepts come from?

David Slagle

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.

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

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

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

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

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