Your Questions

Now that Sharpe's Assassin has come and gone.  I am now re-purchasing my entire collection on Audible.  This is just in case my iPod decides to give up on me (it's a classic that is now more than 12 years old) and I have a house fire that destroys my entire Sharpe paper copy off the books collection.

I have 6 left to buy and am currently going through Sharpe's Tiger.  Wow as I previously told you before, I was a fool for neglecting the "prequels" for so long.  In my very weak defence,  I just couldn't imagine a Sharpe Novel, without Patrick Harper

In 2006 you left me wanting more and me believing there wouldn't be.  Now I am 100% certain there that this time (which I believe you to confirm in the novel itself) there will be no more..

Sharpe's Assassin. Amazing. Love that you addressed the attempt on Prince William of Orange.

Love that Sharpe's rank gets confirmed.

And now that I'm listening to Sharpe's Tiger, I love the contrast in how Wellington views Sharpe in that novel to how he does in Sharpe's Assassin.  Either (your) Wellington mellowed, or perhaps his personality in real life was to recognise talent when it was staring him in the face instead of his original pre-judgment?

But my absolute favourite part of the novel, was the end duel. First how he uses it to avenge himself on Morris, but more so (and I doubt you intended it to) how it brought about echoes of his duel in Sharpe's Honour.  I thought the parallels were fantastic.

One last thing.  If you ever get time, could you write a short story where you address Jane's fate?  I've always thought it may be "poetic justice" if she was to end up in Cat Lane.  Although I doubt that would be her fate, as surely she couldn't have allowed Lord John to squander all the money she stole?!

Lee

 

Your work has been of interest over the years and I have read some of your material (to about the fifth book?). It helps stir my own interest in the matter as well as my own family history, which I thank you for.

 

I write you today to ask about the family of Ravn and Ragnar the Fearless. Is this family, or anyone in it based on historical men/women? I cannot find such an answer online. Many seem to think that you fabricated Uhtred even, but as far as I can tell he is based on Uhtred the Bold and is directly related to you, thus your inspiration for the story.

 

Thanks for your time and work!

Tyvar Ingeberht

Hello Sir.

Have you ever given thought to writing your autobiography? I really think that the story of your childhood, your career behind the scenes in the television world, your move to America and facts behind all the subsequent wonderful novels, which mean so much to so many, would be a fabulous edition to any bookshelf. I am sure it would be a bestseller.

Barry from Doncaster, UK

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

Thank you for creating Richard Sharpe!  And please thank Judy for getting you into a position where you were stimulated to create him.

I am a New Englander, born and bred, a bit older than you.  So an interest in the British Peninsular War, as opposed to the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil  War, was a bit out of the ordinary when I was growing up.

Fortunately, our small town library carried C.S.Forester’s Hornblower series, which led to his Peninsular War novellas Rifleman Dodd and The Gun, which made me aware of the PW.  And Wellington.  It took a while to find more, including Elizabeth Longford’s biography and Jac Weller’s books, prowling used book stores.

Then came the rainy week we camped in Maine, hoping in vain for the weather to clear, trying to entertain our three children.  The many trips to the Maine Mall led to browsing the remainder bins and the discovery of Sharpe’s Eagle and Sharpe’s Gold.  An ‘aha!’ moment, a bright spot in a trying week.  I have been hunting Sharpe ever since, here and in the UK on business trips, with a high degree of success.  Visiting Waterloo with my son Tom, during his semester abroad at Leiden, my guides included Sharpe’s Waterloo and Jac Weller’s Wellington at Waterloo.  And I am quite pleased to have your nonfiction book on Waterloo.

I like the films, and happy that they stimulated you to expand the Sharpe saga, but they were difficult to catch on PBS.  The books are on my shelf – much easier to access.

The recent publication of Sharpe’s Assassin revived my awareness of Sharpe; I now have the three short stories and your tale of Sharpe’s origin, all very good.  It is pleasant to see him settled with Lucille in Normandy.  But one has to wonder; will events occur to Devil (sorry) him and Harper again?

I am minded to paraphrase General Patton’s famous comment about Field Marshall Rommel:  Sharpe, you magnificent bastard, I read your books!

Thank you again!

Charles Innis

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I'd like to start by saying I am a huge fan and you are my favorite author. I'm an avid reader and love historical fiction and you are just the best. I've read most of your books (I'm working my way through the Sharpe novels rights now) and have gone through the Uhtred and Thomas of Hookton series twice.

I have a bit of a personal question for you... and feel free to ignore me! I've noticed that you do so well with the religion of your characters. Uhtred is a worshipper of Thor and Odin in a Christian world. Thomas of Hookton is an educated bastard. Sharpe is essentially and atheist and yet can be very superstitious and believes in fate. The most evil of all your characters are the very strict and legalistic priests, especially the Dominicans who torture Thomas. And some of your best characters are the priests who know how to compromise (like Pyrlig and Beocca).

Here is the question: What is your personal religious background and belief? I have wondered this for years and you clearly are well versed in Catholic and Anglican belief systems. Super personal and probably offensive to ask, but I am a Christian myself and would love to know.

Thomas Allen

Hi Bernard.

I really got into the Last Kingdom series when I read the forth book which included a map of Benfleet! I was astonished as I was born at Tarpots in 1950 and went to King Johns where the battle of Beomfleet was never mentioned! I also read of your early life in Thundersley. I can remember the Wiggins ford lorries with it painted on the side. Have you ever been back to Thundersley?

Graham Patrick

Hi,

I'm really into the Last Kingdom series even before it became a movie.  I'm curious if you plan additional books after War Lord?

Best Rgds

Lars Wilson, Sweden

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I am Giacomo Cecchin, one of his passionate Italian readers.

I am writing to thank you for Sharpe's latest story: it is truly magnificent.

I missed Richard Sharpe and Patrick Harper, and although I have strong sympathies for Boney and the French, I find them really interesting.

I just add two things:

1) The feature that I like most about Sharpe is that he is a 3D character that is not perfect: he gets angry, kills and does everything that an English officer of his time would have done (and maybe even something more ).

2) Will there be more Sharpe stories? maybe he can't tell me but I'd like to read more and who knows if Sharpe doesn't decide to go to Italy too. In this regard: have they ever contacted you from Mantua to participate in Festivaletteratura www.festivaletteratura.it ? Meeting you would be a dream come true for me.

Thanks for everything you wrote (I loved the Grail trilogy very much) and best regards.

Giacomo Cecchin

 

Mr. Cornwell,

I’m a great admirer of your novels. I think, to date, I’ve read all of them. I just finished (“devoured”) your latest “Sharpe’s Assassins” in two days flat. I’m a history buff and I’ve learned quite a bit of history through your novels. I particularly enjoy the historical notes at the end of each of your historical novels where you set the record straight. I a curious to know if we will see Sharpe and Uhtred again or maybe you will present us with a new hero/character in a new series???

John Balian

Quick question about writing historical fiction. I’ve written histfic as a nonsense hobby since I was 13 years old. I read Last Kingdom for the first time sitting on my roof at age 13 and was instantly enthralled by both your storytelling capabilities, how very real the characters felt, and that anyone at all was telling history like that, in that way. Changed my life forever. Since then I’ve loved historical fiction; loved bringing the past to life, the extensive non stop research that took more of my time than the actual writing did—but I’m curious, do you think magical realism has a place in histfic? For example, if there’s a group of welsh pagans living out in the Heath, they believe their gods and magic are real, even neighboring Christian’s were superstitious of pagan magic. If a writer presents those things as real to the audience, as magical realism, is that still historical fiction?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Kaitlin

Hi Bernard,

Just finished "Assasin", I bought it in September but decided to re-read the whole series again first just to get ready. As ever it's perfect, loved every minute I didn't realise how much I missed him until I started.

Questions, you wrote the series out of order, how did you keep track?

there are so few examples of your making a mistake in the timelines of the characters?

For the next book, might you re-visit Fools and Mortals? I thought that was fantastic.

Thanks again for all the joy, I've gone back to Derfel, as I always do every few years, and it's like meeting an old friend again.

Mike