Did Uhted ever recapture Bebbanburg? I look forward to your next book in the series
Sara Joan Armour
Keep reading!
Hi Bernard,
I'm just about to start an MA in Ancient & Medieval Warfare in September and am currently doing some pre-reading. I know there was a dramatic change in military defence under Alfred in particular and am curious if during your research if you detected any significant developments (other than the long ship) on the Viking side. I believe there is archaelogical evidence pointing to the training of elite professional soldiers having been discovered at fortresses in Denmark from a bit later in the period, but I cannot help wonder if, at least in part, the Saxons evolved a bit more than the Vikings. I'd be interested if you have any thoughts.
Very best regards
Andy
My main thought (for what it’s worth) is that the Vikings simply did not have the same level of organization! Take, for instance, the Burghal Hidage of Alfred; a document that shows a great deal of thought. The Saxons, being under threat, took a lot more trouble over how they would fight their wars. A Viking leader, faced with defeat, could simply try somewhere else – Frankia, or east into what would become Russia. It’s also noteworthy that the Saxons, being Christian, had a higher level of literacy which meant that documents like the Burghal Hidage could be copied, distributed and read. They also benefited from their fellow-Christian’s experiences across the channel. The Vikings were fearful fighters, and an undoubted menace, but they appear to have lacked the organization of their enemies.
I am currently enjoying Warriors of Storm and already I am extremely pleased to hear another book is soon to come. Within the book Uhtred rides out on his new tall black horse Tintrig (sorry I am guessing at the spelling as it is an audio book). Uhtred states it means torment. Several times in previous books translations are mentioned and I was wondering what the source is for these words and meanings. In my opinion it is these small tidbits of history which make the series such a great read. Thank you for writing so many great reads and I would like to know a little more about the languages for the name of the horse.
Kind regards,
Jay
I use an Anglo-Saxon to modern English dictionary! There are several available!
I have just finished reading the Starbuck books, thus far. One thing that I was a little puzzled about though was I saw no mention of platoon firing or firing by rank. Had those drills fallen into disuse by the time of the American civil war, or where they considered to difficult to be taught to a largely volunteer (and later conscript) army in the short training that they received.
I put off reading the Starbuck books as they are an unfinished work, I'm glad I did read them in the end though and hope you will find the time to complete Nat's story.
Bryan
They certainly used volley-fire (wait till you see the whites of their eyes), but probably didn’t have a need for platoon fire. Infantry was rarely attacked by cavalry in the Civil War, but it was fairly commonplace in the Napoleonic Wars, and platoon fire guarantees that a cavalry charge will not find a whole battalion with empty muskets. And, as weapons evolved, the necessity for controlled close-range fire diminished.
Dear Bernard
You have mentioned that Sharpe became Sean Bean in your mind when writing the character after Sean was cast in the role, as such I was wondering if the same has happened with Uhtred. When writing future books featuring Uhtred do you now picture the actor who portrays Uhtred in the TV series when writing the books? Great books.
Thanks
Phil
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.
Dear Bernard
You've always been a fan of Robert E Lee and his Generalship but for debates sake could he really be put on the same level as say a Napoleon or Wellington ?. In the 7 Days campaign, he did lose 6 of the 7 battles which seemed down to McClellan deciding to retreat after each one rather than Lee forcing him to. Even after Gettysburg he then lost battles at Bristoe Station and at Rappahonock Station.
JFC Fuller in his book Grant and Lee states that the Lee of Gettysburg was also the same Lee of Cheats Mountain.
Lee could be called a good general but could he really be called a great one ?
Yours sincerely
Geraint
P.s If you've not read it I can recommend Lee's Last Retreat by William Marvel on the Appomattox campaign. Interestingly he puts Lee's Army at 50'000 during the campaign rather than the commonly used 30'000.
Who knows? They all faced different problems. Would Wellington have been so successful had he been faced with the problems that Lee had to deal with? Lee’s enemies had far greater resources, more men, better weapons (on the whole), yet, until he faced Grant, he ran rings round them. It’s really an impossible question to answer, we’re not comparing like with like. They were all great generals!
Dear Mr Cornwell,
Firstly I should say that over the years I have read most of your books and found them very good - although in the most part fiction, they are backed up by sufficient historic fact to be entirely plausible, which adds to their appeal. Clearly you do a great deal of research so I was wondering if there is any historic background to the plot in Sharpe's Enemy.
I ask this as I have recently read many of the books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and in "The exploits of Brigadier Gerard" there is a story about a disgraced English officer who adopted the name Marshal Millefleurs and led a band of English, French and Portuguese deserters who captured a Spanish Abbey and kidnapped a Spanish Noblewoman. Gerard is sent with a small force to capture the deserters and free the lady and joins with an English officer and his small force who have been sent to do the same thing. Of course, being Gerard he bungles it unlike Sharpe.
There are clearly parallels with your story so I wondered if both yourself and Doyle were basing the stories on a real event?
Cheers
Peter
Thank you for that . . . I confess (shamefully) that I’ve not read the Brigadier Gerard stories, but I’m not surprised that Conan Doyle was attracted to that tale. Yes, it is based on true events. I wrote the book so long ago that I’ve forgotten my sources and (forgive me) am too lazy to dig out the notes, but there was a band of deserters in the Spanish hills who made a thorough nuisance of themselves. They were led (if I recall rightly) by a Frenchman, Pot-au-Feu (a nickname, obviously) and included British, Spanish and French soldiers.
Hello Bernard
Firstly thankyou for your Last Kingdom series which have kept me company for the last 8 months or so. Both in paper form and audio. My friend introduced me to them (they have all your books) and I decided to get the audible versions as I drive a lot for work. Anyway I just wondered if you could use your might and possibly serpentbreath to convince audible to get Jonathan Keeble back to narrate the Flame Bearer. The change in the narrators they made for the Last Kingdom series spoilt it for me a bit but Jonathan breathed more life into Utrhed and I would like him to be reading to me when he gets to Bebbenberg x Keep up the good work
Sharon McCubbin
I am happy to pass your request along to the powers that be!
Hello Bernard,
I'm curious if you've read the novels by Gary Jennings, and what do you think of them? We are fans who run his website.
Thanks,
Jay
I feel guilty – sorry – I haven’t read them (yet)
At the end of The Bloody Ground, you said that Starbuck would march again. Has he? Great series, as is Sharpe's and am into Sailing now. Keep up the good work!
Char Veldheer
Not yet!