Your Questions

Hi Mr. Cornwell.

A few years ago, I suggested you write a novel about Sweet William Frederickson during the siege of San Sebastian, which as you know Sharpe missed because he was in England at the time (Sharpe's Regiment).  Do you think there's any realistic chance that you might write it some day?

Alan Kempner

 

Dear Mr. Cornwell

 

First of all let me thank you and congratulate you on an excellent career and the most interesting books I've read later.

 

Now, for my question: a few days ago I came up with an idea on how to solve your riddle on sharpe's father's identity:

 

"Take you out, put me in and a horse appears in this happy person"

 

This riddle, with your reference to "A Smuggler's Song" lead me to this theory:

 

"Take you out, put me in", reffers to some kind of smuggling, this would make sense when connected with the poem. "this happy person", in latin can be translated to "Fortunatus". This would be a reference to Fortunatus Wright, the english pirate from the XVIII century.

 

"and a horse appears", could be a reference to a technique used by smugglers in Cornwall where in case no patrols were around and goods could be brought ashore a horse would be walked by the sea.

 

This means, therefore, that Sharpe's father could have been a smuggler related to Fortunatus Wright, or maybe Wright's son.

 

Is it right, or at least close?

 

Thank you

Joao Aguiar

 

This is of course a bit far stretched, but still, is it right, or at least close?

Dear Mr Cornwell,

 

I thoroughly enjoy your books. As a matter of fact I read 1356 and then read the earlier Grail Quest in less than two weeks.

However, the one thing I couldn't come to terms with, especially after having read the Grail Quest, and realizing he was an influential character. Was the way in which Robbie Douglas was killed off. Why was a character featured in 3 of your books, so unceremoniously gotten rid of?

Also, (and this is by no means a critiscism I simply wanted to indulge in more of your writing,) I would have been intrigued into knowing how Thomas was knighted etc

 

All the best,

 

Gus Watson

Mr Cornwell

 

I've recently finished you Warlord Chronicles, and after initially being a little apprehensive, because my only knowledge of the Arthur legend was the Disney and 12th century stories, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy them. However, not only did I enjoy them, but they're now my favourite books!

 

I live in Cwmbran, a small town in Gwent, so immediately felt a connection to the story. After reading The Winter King I done a little research and discovered that Saint Derfel (Gadarn), the 6th century warrior monk, is the Patron Saint of Cwmbran and he founded a church there. A local society recently raised a statue in his honour at Thornhill, near Llandderfel, where the church was said to have been.

 

I was quite surprised by the amount of information I could find out about Derfel Gadarn from multiple sources, and wondered if you thought this was more evidence to support your theory that the Christians tried to write Arthur out of history (because Derfel was or became Christian, and he seems to have lots of scholars, probably Christian, writing about him) or if you think that it is evidence that Arthur didn't exist, because there simply isn't much historical evidence?

 

P.s I recently read "The Fall of Arthur by JRR Tolkien", written in the 1930's, before he published The Hobbit. It wasn't 100% finished at the time, but it has been very well edited together by his son, and I would highly recommend it.

 

Best regards

 

Clayton

South Wales

Dear Mr.Cornwell

 

I started reading your books about two years ago and ever since I have read the Grail quest series, the Warlord trilogy and I am currently reading the Burning Land. But I write to ask one thing; are there any books that you personally would recommend that are about slavery? I became a huge fan of your books due to the amount of detail, the development of characters throughout the story, the gritty realism and the historical accuracy. As such I was wondering if you have any book you would recommend or a book you yourself have writen that goes deep into slavery namely the slave trade, modern slavery and gladiators. I thought that maybe one of the Sharpe books would have some detail towards this and so I have ordered the Sharpe series of books. Can't wait to read a series of 22 books.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this e-mail

 

Alexandre

 

P.S. Have you though one day to write a series of books during the Roman/Hellenistic Era as I am a fan of the Dark Ages but I like ancient history as you can tell from my e-mail

 

wyrd bio ful araed

What language is this..how do you pronounce it...thanks

David Munford

 

I know you have been asked about this phrase many times, but I'm not sure if this question has ever come up. I am familiar with the poem "The Wanderer" and have read it in several translations. The phrase is often translated as fate is relentless. A decent thesaurus would probably accept those as synonyms. But I perceive a very slight (but important, to me anyway) difference in meaning of the two words. How did you choose the word inexorable, as opposed to relentless? Was it from a particular translation or as a personal choice?

Mara Hardy

We are not climbing Jacob's ladder to some heavenly perfection, but stumbling downhill toward Ragnarok.

 

Where you thinking about modern society when writing this, or is this parallelism just me looking too deep into things?

 

Thanks

Andreas Azzopardi

Dear Sir

Again thanks for sharing your genius.  Have recently began re-reading Sharpe all over again and they still get me engrossed and feeling emotions as though i know the people personally.

Regarding Sharpe's promotions past the rank of Captain.   Was there any reason why you chose to make these ranks Brevet/Army ranks and not Regimental?  Also can we assume that although The Duke of Wellington confirmed him as the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers' commanding officer, that again Horse Guards rejected the posting?

Does Sharpe have unfinished business with Lord Pumphrey?  And if so, will we ever this resolved?

Have you seen this?   http://stuffiread.wordpress.com/other-stuff/sharpe-22/   The author is trying to logically say there is unlikely to be another Sharpe by ruling out any scenario where you can write another set after Shape's Rifles.   I sincerely hope he's incorrect.  But should it turn out that way, thanks for all the hours of pleasure your creation has given to millions.

Lee

 

Hello Bernard.

I have seen you have plans for more Sharpe in the future, will it be post Devil or pre Tiger? I must say some peace time dialogue with Wellington would be brilliant. Sharpe's politics perhaps? Massive fan of the character since I was a child. Thank you for the hours of enjoyment reading his adventures.

Terry.

 

I wanted to contact you to thank you for the hours of reading pleasure you have given me. You have given me an interest in history, so much so that in 2013 I walked the Pilgrims Trail in France and Spain with off shoots to Sharp points and in 2014 I walked and drove in Portugal tracing the campaign.

Don't get the idea I only read Sharp, I have read all your books and I mean ALL and most more than once.

I do however wonder why you don't continue some obvious lines, I would like to read more of Starbuck and his Regiment.

I did have a thought, if Sharps' Wifes' Uncle died and Sharps wife was his only surviving relative,  if Sharp did not divorce his Wife (almost impossible in that day and age) and his Wife died leaving a child, would not that give Sharp Locus Standi to apply for Guardianship of his Wife's child which would presumptively be his child and therefore control of her uncles ill gotten gains?

I do think you would could look at the Canadian and Australian Armies in France in World War One for another area of interest or perhaps the Special Air Service (my old Regiment albeit in Australia and service in Asia) or Popskis' Private Army in World War Two? If a nautical flavour attracts the small boats of World War TWo especially in the Med and Adriatic were colourful both Axis (Snellboot / E Boat) and Allied (Fairmiles)

Thank you, I had a friend now deceased, who was a film maker and said something I think applies to any like endeavour that the aim is to "suspend the disbelief for long enough to allow the audience to experience the story"

Bye

Anthony Burke

 

Hi,

I have recently read the Sharpe series and thoroughly enjoyed them but I have one niggle on the Jane Sharpe plotline. Given the law at the time which said that everything within a marriage belonged automatically to the husband, with the wife not even having a legal status in her own right, why did Sharpe not just go in and take everything back? I was also curious how everything had been taken away from Sharpe after the death of Lady Grace; it never seems to have been clearly explained?

Kath Bonson

I hope you can interest your US publisher in a US edition of Waterloo.

Many of your readers are history bluffs and I think that an US edition would be a success.

If an US edition is not announced, I will buy a much more expensive (due to shipping cost) British edition in about 6 months.

Bill Huff