Your Questions

Q

Hi Mr C

Hope you and yours are all keeping well and safe at present!

I’ve just reread The Arthur Trilogy and The Grail Quest during my isolation and I’m just wondering what the plans are for your next book and if you have any definitive plans for a new series?

Should we expect another Sharpe? Or have you another one-off novel in the pipeline? Or is there another grand series to look forward to (fingers crossed)?

Would love to read your version of the Norman invasion and/or your version of the 2nd Scottish War of Independence.

Have a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the coming New Year!

Patrick

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

The next book will be another Sharpe. I had planned something different, and that might yet happen, but I so enjoyed being back in Sharpe’s grumpy company that I decided to stay with him for a while longer.

Q

PLEASE, please, please, Sir,  In the Grail Quest you touch on the treatment of the Jews in both England and in Europe, now I would like to know more about why, how and the consequences.  You do such wonderful research and make these times come alive.  This is Not an idea for a book, just a plea to expand on your "teaser" which I found fascinating.  Haven't watched the Last Kingdom, as I have all the books and just can't see the wry humour coming through in a condensed script.  Thank you for the pleasure your writing has bought me.

Cheers,

Meredith Holla,

Australia

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

I’m glad it fascinated you and I’ve thought of going back and adding to those books so perhaps I can expand on that. In truth the treatment of Jews was pretty shabby almost everywhere, including England, but whether I can write a book round that theme, I don’t know. But thank you for the suggestion!

 

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell

 

Thank you very much for your books. I've just finished reading the Saxon Chronicles, and I'm very grateful for all that time I spent with lord Uthred and King Alfred the Great. Before reading your books I had no idea about the role of King Alfred in creating the English kingdom. Now he is one of my favorite historical characters and I'm very proud of the fact that Wessex royal dynasty (Alfred's legacy) was connected with Rurikids by princess Githa who, as you may know, found the new home in Rus and became the first wife of grand prince Monomakh.

 

My actual question is about the Uhtred way of thinking. Just like Galahad in Arthur books Uhtred thinks the world falling into darkness as he is surrounded by ruins of roman civilization which cannot be restored by Saxons or Vikings.

 

But what would he think about Constantinople if he had a chance to see that magnificent city?

 

In the times of Uhtred Constantinople was a capital of the Byzantine empire, it was still a great Roman city. It was also a center of eastern Christianity. The sight of Hagia Sofia and other churches inspired russian prince Vladimir to choose the Orthodox faith. So what would be Uhtred's and maybe Derfel's or Galahad's impression? Would these characters change their pessimistic point of view?

 

Please excuse my English. I don't have enough practice in Russia.

 

Best Regards,

Dmitry from Moscow.

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

Uhtred would have been astonished by Constantinople!  And impressed!  And there were connections between his England and Constantinople, but sadly he never followed them. They are brilliantly described in Cat Jarman’s book ‘The River Kings’, which you may enjoy.  And your English is a million times better than my Russian!  С новым годом!

 

Q

Dear Bernard

I wondered of you'd thought of sending Sharpe with Gérard and get him involved in the Belgian War of independence ? He'd be going up against the Prince of Orange properly this time.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Ten_days%27_campaign

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

I never have thought of it, but you’ve sparked my interest so we’ll see! Thank you!!!

Q

I thought Sharpe was from London but yet he worked at a bar near Halifax as a lad? How would this have happened?

Carl

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

He ran away from London – I can’t entirely recall why – and ended up in Yorkshire where he killed a man and joined the 33rd to evade the rope.

 

Q

As Patrick O'Brian is on record as having read the Sharpe books, I imagine that you will be familiar with O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. The series became far more popular than O'Brian thought they would be, and he ran out of Napoleonic years. His solution was to create extra years: 1812a; 1813b and so on.

I wanted to ask whether you might consider the same device for extending the Sharpe series? 'Assassin' has him in Paris in 1815; there appear to be hints from both Wellington and our hero that he will be available if called upon. Rather than casting back to the Peninsular years for the next novel, what a joy it would be to see Sharpe promoted to full Colonel (or General, which was held out as a prospect to Sharpe at the farewell dinner...) and recalled to the Colours in 1816 etc.

Any glimmer of a chance?

David lovibond

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

The glimmer exists, but for the next book I think I’m going back to 1812d.

 

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I have recently started reading your books on Anglo-Saxon England with Uhtred. In one of your interviews about your book War Lord, you mentioned that you read a lot Saxon poems.

I was curious what poems these would be? I'm developing a deep fascination for the Saxon era and wish to learn more about the stories from that time.

Thankyou very much for your time and hope you are keeping safe in these crazy times.

Kind Regards,

Max Tatton

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

There’s a lot of Anglo-Saxon poetry available – both in the original language and, mercifully, in translation. Perhaps the famous poems are The Wanderer and The Seafarer, while for a battle story there’s Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon,  I do like Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, while the other three I’ve mentioned should all be contained in any decent anthology of Anglo-Saxon verse.

Q

Dear Bernard

I have read and loved all the books of Uhtred. thank you so much for creating them and bringing to life a period history that I barely knew existed.  I'd love to learn more.  Could you recommend a history book that would cover the early history of England. Maybe a few hundred years either side of the period you've written of. Or even a bigger book! if there is some thing wonderful.

Thank you again

Best Regards

Aziz

Submitted January 9, 2022

A

This is a good general survey which covers the whole period of the Anglo Saxons up to the Norman invasion.  There are other books which go back farther, but I suspect   Britain after Rome: The Fall and Rise, 400 to 1070 by Robin Fleming is what you’re after!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I'm a massive fan of your work who has had the unfortunate luck to do some minor studies in film-making, which means that whenever I read one of your books, I'm now almost always thinking how their stories could be adapted to the screen. My question to you would be have you considered the possibility of a television adaptation of Azincourt or the Grail Quest trilogy? Having read your guidelines, I'm fairly certain my question probably doesn't breach them, given it pertains to television and film adaptations of your books, but if I'm wrong to ask this question, I apologise.

Nicholas Agalidis

Submitted December 30, 2021

A

I think there is one in the works.....although I haven't heard any news about it lately....

Q

Hi Bernard,

 

Longtime fan of the books and TV series of both Sharpe and Uhtred.

 

Just finished Assassin - thanks!

 

Have you read my favourite novel "The Skystone" by Jack Whyte which tells the beginning of the Arthurian legend?

 

Regina

Submitted December 30, 2021

A

Yes!  And I also enjoyed it!