Your Questions

Q

I founded a family history society called the 'Stonehewer to Stanier Society' with members from around the world. Our earliest Stonehewers we know of are in the Doomsday Book in Oxfordshire - and locally to us it seems the existing Stonehewers are descended from who cut mil stones on Congleton Edge & supplied them throughout Cheshire in the 1300s & early 1400's.

We are aware the name is Anglo-Saxon - and having read the Warrior Chronicles (perhaps hoping to see our surname!) - I wonder if in your obvious extensive research if you have come across this name?

Thank you

Michael Stonehewer

Submitted February 1, 2016

A

I haven’t come across the name . . . but I do like it, so might well use it! Thank you

 

 

Q

Dear Sir,

I had stumbled upon the Sharpe's father's riddle today, and whilst perusing others' suggestions, I did a bit of research on my own.

The entry/entries stating that Sharpe's father was a smuggler seem to be in the right direction. Looking at famous smugglers, one comes across Isaac Gulliver, born 1745, died 1822. As Sharpe reckons he was born about 1777, the dates do work.

Guillver then has one think of Gulliver's travels, and the houyhnhnms.

This guess is just that, a guess. I do admit to some extrapolation, and thought that since Ridout and Coppinger (I think) had been mentioned, I would keep with the line of thought.

Thank you for your time,

Carla

 

Submitted February 1, 2016

A

So near! And yet so far.

Q

Hello,

In 'Sword Song' you write that Watling Street runs to the Irish Sea at a point just north of Wales ( Wirral ?) however, I cannot find any reference that takes it further north west than Shropshire. I would very much like to find that it does indeed run to the place where I live. Can you help please.

Thank you,

Tom Lutton

Submitted February 1, 2016

A

I think I probably misled you – conventionally it ends at Wroxeter, but of course the Romans extended it (or at least followed the ancient route and kept going) and so you could follow Watling Street from Kent and angle your way across England to end near Chester

Q

After reading the historical notes in the Pale Horseman I decided to buy The Anglo Saxon Chronicle book, but in searching for it i noticed there were several different editions. There was one by a G.N. Garmonsway, one by a Michael Swanton and one by a James Ingram amonst others. Do you know if one edition is better than another if so could you recommend one?

Regards.

Brett Smart

 

Submitted February 1, 2016

A

I don’t know all the editions, so all I can really tell you is that I use (and like) an edition translated and edited by Anne Savage.

Q

I'm reading (and enjoying) Warriors of the Storm right now, but I had to stop and immediately register my (cordial) dismay. In response to a certain impulsive comment Uhtred made to Eadith, Uhtred then writes, "God, what fools women make of us."

Has Uhtred ever referenced a singular God, unless it was with scorn? Please tell me the future narrator Uhtred still knows that there are many Gods...

Thank you for your endlessly entertaining stories, particularly Uhtred & Dervel!

Jordan Nichols

Submitted February 1, 2016

A

Well, he knows and acknowledges it often! I think, on reflection, I’d have cut the word. You have a point!

 

Q

Hi,

Just finished last kingdom. Where there any sources for the part of the story where monks kill some Danes and then the Danes go on an angry spree? I know the Danes did prey on monastery's in general. Thanks!

Great book just wish it was a bit more sympathetic to Christianity but no doubt you were accurately portraying the Viking attitude.

Jeremiah Salyer

Submitted February 1, 2016

A

The sources are almost any of the extant chronicles! In 793, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says, there were whirlwinds, lightning and ‘flaming dragons’, all omens for what was to follow . . ‘pagans destroying God’s church at Lindisfarne with brutal robbery and slaughter’ . . . and so it went on!

 

Q

Hello Bernard

How did people of Saxon and similar periods measure time without clocks? Where we would say - "I'll meet you at 11 o'clock" or they talked for 20 minutes, how would the Saxons render it. I know the concept of "hours" had been around since biblical times - the sixth hour, etc - but without clocks, how did they measure an "hour"? Welcome your thoughts.

Chris

 

Submitted February 1, 2016

A

Crudely! There was no exactitude, nor could there be. Alfred tried, of course, with his ‘candle clocks’ that were banded black and white and supposedly a band was consumed every hour, but even that must have been very hit or miss. There were sundials, and they were accurate, but I doubt many folk saw one. The word ‘hour’ is actually an anachronism . . . the word didn’t enter the English language until much later, but I decided against using a Saxon equivalent (which I think would have been stund). Basically they divided the sunlit hours, i.e. dawn to dusk, into ‘hours’, but one man’s hour would have been vaguely different from another! It really wasn’t till the railways arrived that folk felt the need to co-ordinate time! Hour, then, really is a loose term, but I suspect everyone had a rough idea what it meant, though I doubt that punctuality was a Saxon (or mediaeval) virtue!

Q

Hi Bernard,

This is a shot in the dark, but was Sharpe's father Alexander Hamilton Hume? I can't remember if he appeared in any of the novels - and not sure how the horse appears in this 'happy' person. He was born around 1762 and a reputed womaniser. Fought a duel and was forced to take office of a penal colony in Australia, then became a landowner.

Also, I'm really enjoying 'The Last Kingdom' TV adaptation. The acting and script are both excellent, although I would have liked a few more battles at key moments. Instead, they cut straight to the aftermath. But David Dawson portrays King Alfred just how I envisioned him in the novels. It would be great if they could film the rest of Uhtred's story. Episode 7 is tomorrow (Thursday) night UK time, HD 102 Channel justifies the scenery.

Also, have you seen or heard about 'The Man in the High Castle' featured on Amazon?

Robert Douglas

Submitted January 25, 2016

A

Nice try. Wrong, but nice!

I read the book many years ago . . . .a clever reconstruction of a post-war America that had lost to Axis powers.

Q

Hello Bernard,

Just noticed that they've started re releasing The Last Kingdom with pictures from the TV series.  Please confirm any new books released will stick to the style of the old books.

The books look very nice on my shelf in their current style!

Thanks

Paul

Submitted January 25, 2016

A

Sorry, I can't confirm anything about book covers!  Although I suspect the hardback covers will continue in the same style, I won't know until close to publication.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

Congratulations on the excellent latest addition “Warriors of the Storm” to the Saxon series. It had particular resonance for me (as with “The Empty Throne”) as I live in Chester. I have to confess having been a resident in the area for the last 30 years I hadn’t heard of Eddisbury Hill. I therefore took advantage during the Christmas break to pay it a visit. Not much to see now alas but I found the remains of the gate and section of double rampart interesting.

I also really enjoyed watching “The Last Kingdom” apart from the Saxon square/oblong/Roman scutum type shields which were annoying. I could live with the kite shields that appeared halfway through even though they are too early for this period. They must think the audience is stupid. Or maybe I am just being a history geek.

In the above last two books in the series, you included Brunanburgh in the story. I presume therefore you favour Bromborough as the site of this epic battle? If so I had thought you were lining it up as a grand finale however unfortunately when I checked the dates, Uhtred would be 80 years old so if he is still about he would just be giving sage-like strategy and tactical advice to Athelstan?

Will the next Saxon series book you are writing be the last?

Regards,

Peter

Submitted January 25, 2016

A

Yep, I’m aware of that difficulty . . . somehow we’ll get there, though!

No, I don't think it will be the last...