Your Questions

Hallo

I'm shooting from the hip here, what about Dodd, was he Sharpe's Daddy ?

Oldame

I have been an avid and loyal fan to the saxon tales for almost 6 years now and every page I'm still amazed at the level of knowledge you have for the landscape the battlefield tactics and the historically accurate weapons/armor. I am have been inspired to attain a degree in medieval history and was wondering if you yourself have one and if so where. If not then where did you learn about this particular time period. Thank you for your time and please continue to bless us readers with these truly phenomenal tales.

Justin McGuire

I am rereading the exceptional warlord chronicles. I serve with the Fleet Air Arm at Yeovilton and live in the village of Ilchester. (Lindinis). I have 3 questions.

1. Why did you go so far against convention to make Lancelot the Villian? I've always despised his treachery in the Arthur Ian legend so to see him meet his fate was great.

2. Will these ever become films or a TV series?

3 if they do can I play Derfel? I'd borderline sacrifice my hand to bring, in my opinion, your greatest character to life.

Many thanks

Dave Flak

Hi Mr. Cornwell.

I was thinking about Starbuck recently.  It occurred to me that after Appommatox (and I have no doubt you'll get him there eventually) things may be looking pretty bleak for our displaced Northerner.  Not only was he on the losing side, but he's probably burned his bridges behind him for ever being accepted by his family or most northerners again, and he's in the middle of Reconstruction and the formation of the KKK.  I hope that when the time comes, you'll figure out some way for him to have a fairly happy ending like Sharpe achieved.

Alan Kempner

 

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I am a voracious reader of all of your books, but especially the Saxon series.  I am however intrigued why you chose the tiny hamlet of Swinithwaite as the location of the viking hall.  Having only ten or so houses, it is a blink and you miss it place.  I am lucky enough to now live in the village, and when in the hills above, i often wonder where the hall would have "been".

Keep writing!

Graham Bottley

I think it was in Sharpe's Honour, that you expressed regret about killing off Hakeswill.  And you gave an excellent reason.

Was there an actual good guy in the Sharpe series, where you've perhaps after the book was published, thought "I wish i hadn't killed him, he would've been useful in this next book....."

Also having just re-read Sharpe's Company.  I admire something you've said in the Historical note.

"History is a great General"

I have actually been guilty of something similar.  To the historians who judged Wellington.  Until I watched this 12 part series on 2nd World War.

I refer to how people have judged Prime Minister Chamberlain for his "appeasement policy".

But the narrator raised the following points...

1) Most Brits who remembered the 1st World War, wanted to avoid another war with Germany at all costs.

2) Only Churchill was speaking out against Hitler and his regime at that time and his popularity was at an all time low in the 30s.

3) From what the British could see up until the invasion of Czechoslovakia, Hitler was only "righting the wrongs of Versaille."

4) History shows Churchill to be right, but considering the other points, without the benefit of hindsight, what would you have done differently?

Not so relevant to Sharpe but i feel it supports the point you made about "History being a great General."

It certainly changed the way i thought of Mr Chamberlain.  Did you see that series? What did you think of those points? (If you don't mind me asking)

Lee

 

I'm a long time fan of your books, have read all the Sharpe books and many others.

I notice on a trailer for the new TV version of The Last Kingdom that the Saxon's seem to have rectangular, not round, shields, surely that is not historical is it?

Ted Browne

Hello Mr Cornwell,

I have been a huge fan of yours since the Sharpe TV series distracted me from my homework during my teenage years. As a keen crossword solver and setter I came across your Sharpe's Father riddle and decided to give it a go.

I think I have the answer and I apologise if this has already been suggested and denounced:

Sharpe's father is a SMUGGLER, take you (U) out, put me (I) in and a horse will appear (gg) in this happy person (smiler). Now is it a specific smuggler from the world of fiction you're thinking of or am I hopelessly wrong?

Eddie T

Hi Bernard,

I have recently been reading a series of historical books both from yourself and others around the viking era and earlier and wondered how much historical literature is influenced by fact (or at least records from that era that we may accept as fact with the odd miracle or two taken in the spirit in which it was meant) and how much is left to the interpretation of the author. I ask because I find the historical note at the end of each book one of the most interesting parts and as I really want the story to remain a new one I can't read up on history (hoping Wikipedia is reliable on that particular topic!) before reaching the end of the book!

As a second point does it make you cringe a little if other authors maybe miss the mark a little when you read them?

Time to get started on Warriors of the Storm!

Thanks for all the hours of fun you have provided!

Tom

 

Are you travelling to the UK to do any signings of your new book?j

John Norman