Your Questions

Reading about your publications I came across an issue that puzzled me for sometime: how was the french reception to Sharpe's books?

We would expect 200 years to be long enough but for many people in France the Napoleonic period is still a matter of pride and fierce ideology. How hard did it influence your french readers (or, at least, sales)?

Thank you very much for your work so far

Joao (Belgium)

hello,

just to ask if you know of the history of the Berkeley family at berkeley in glos, uk. i started work there as a guide a short while ago, which i find very interesting. In the Empty Throne which i have just finished and enjoyed, just love the Uhtred stories. you base quite a lot on gloucester, and mention Godwin Godwinson, in the castle there is the Godwin cup, with a myth and story to it about Godwin. do you know anything about it? Have you ever been to Berkeley castle and do you know much about the story of it as it was built about the time set of your book. We recently had the film crew of Wolf Hall there for some of the scenes. sorry to babble on but I also come from essex, stock, near to billericay. i now live near to Berkeley castle to be near to my family here. with best wishes and a big well done for all your wonderful stories. Do i remember you saying that you have ancestry connected to Uhtred or Bamburgh castle?

with best wishes

Linda Lewis

Hi Mr. Cornwell.

I was reading "The Last Kingdom", and Uhtred said that he tell his story to his grandsons and great-grandsons. In "Lord of the Norths Uhtred" he say that has 84. Considering that actually Uhtred is near 50, and with 84 he is great-grandfather, he shouldn't already be grandfather?

I love Saxon Stories and I'm your fan!

Lucas

Hi, Mr. Bernard!

Thank you for giving us a huge amount of entertainment and powerful knowledge in your works. I'm a huge fan of your books!

So, I'd been reading (again) Excalibur and I can't stop thinking on Merlin's sadness and fatalism. For me, he seemed to be a desperate man, having doubt on his faith on British gods deep in his heart. Something I think he would never admit even for himself. It would explain why he hesitated to kill Gwydre and uses Gawain's corpse to deceive the saxon army. Choosing the Arthur's sword instead of the gods to save Britain.

What it doesn't explain is why he was laughing, blind and helpless, at the moment when Nimue was about to cut his throat as a sacrifice to Manawydan. Why?

He knew what was coming and I think he was smiling because he knew that his torture, in a few moments ahead, would be finished, but, beyond that, after that moment he would never need to decide between Arthur and Nimue/ the Gods. From that moment, the burden of bring the Gods back to Britain wouldn't be over his shoulders anymore and it would be moved to someone who was strong/completely mad/fanatic enough to go deep  and do whatever it takes to achieve his religious aim.

Is that right?

Another thing is about Merlin's comparison between Mithras and our dear nailed god: How could Merlin accept the existence of Christ after knowing so much about the  "stolen" characteristics from Mithras and added to Jesus? I understand that he acknowledges Yahweh, but Jesus?

Your Merlin is an incredible and interesting character! His dialogues with Derfel were amazing!

Sorry for my poor english, I'm another one of fans from Brazil!

 

Best regards!

Felipe de Luca

Hi Mr. Cornwell,

I noticed on your comment board that you told an inquirer that Uhtred is in your family tree. He is also in mine which leads me to wonder if you might be related to my DAR relative, William Cornell. I have some interesting stories on William's life as a Revolutionary soldier and know who his descendants are, but I can't find anything more on his parents. His father, Capt. John Cornell, was a British soldier stationed in Dublin, Ireland where William was born. He died at the battle of Ticonderoga, and that's all I know about him. William's son, Dr. William Cornwell, changed the family name from Cornell to Cornwell. I wonder if Cornwell was the original name. I realize people didn't pay so much attention to spelling then. It's just a long shot, but since you seem to know something of your family history, I would like to know if you know of John or William Cornell, and if so, have you traced them back any further? I don't know the name of John's wife, William's mother, but I know that after her husband's death, she and 15 year old William went to New York where they supported themselves making and selling lace.

Sorry to bother you if you are not related. No need to reply if you have no knowledge of my relatives. I thought there might be a chance since you have traced your ancestry. I look forward to reading your books. I'm also a descendant of Alfred I, as many of your fans, the kings of Northumbria, and Rollon the Viking.

Carolyn Albins

I started reading your book when i was 9 and now 8 years later I can still honestly say that you are my favorite writer. Also I read that when the Angles, Jutes and Saxons came to Britain, the Angles founded Mercia,Northumbria and East Anglia where the Saxons and Jutes ended up forming Wessex.Do you have any idea why even though Angles ended up being the root word for England that we still more commonly associate the peoples of that time being saxons.

 

Thanks, Keep being great!

David Damas

Hello Bernard,

 

Nice writing to you! My question: do you make up pagan and warrior spells like when, in The Last Kingdom, Ealdwulf put his own spells into the sword Serpent Breath, he made for Uhtred. Likewise, Brida took the blade into the woods for a whole night and put the spells of a woman on it. Then, on the request of Uhtred, Ragnar used Serpent-Breath at Yule to kill a prisoner, so to bring the blade to the attention to Odin in order for him to look well on her. Presumably, actually, Brida's spells would be Christian? but did you invent these spells or have some of these spells been documented?

Thanks for your time!

Leni.

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I have read many of your books and enjoy them very much. I love writers who do their research before writing and your novels are almost always very well documented. That's why I'm puzzled. Why is Breteuil a Navarrese place? It's in Picardy and so far as I know, the Montmorency family that held the city never had any ties with the Southern kingdom of Navarre. Would you please enlighten me? (I'm not nitpicking, I'm genuinely curious to know what link Breteuil to Navarre) Also, thank you for setting one of your battle scenes in my hometown of Tours!

 

Kind regards,

Aurélie

Hi again, Mr. Cornwell.

Does Uhtred's wolf-helm have a full face plate like the Sutton Hoo Helmet?  Or just the "spectacle" eye-guards?

Alan Kempner

 

I've enjoyed your Warrior Chronicles as well as your earlier tales on Arthur. With all the research you've done on the era, is there any chance we'll see your take on the Vinland Sagas anytime? Thanks for the years of greatly entertaining work!

Joe G Kushner