Your Questions

Just finished "The pagan lord" and as with all you have written, just loved it! Can't wait to hear more of Uhtred in the future. A couple of questions though. There was an earlier question about minor characters in your books that I thought was really inspiring. They are easy to forget in the shadows of the giant men and women like Uhtred; Finnan, Alfred, Thomas, Ethelfled and Nickolas. One I really loved was the bee-keeper who supplied the beehives and mead for the storming of Benfleet. Another is the older Dane who guarded Knuts wife and children and was/let himself be killed for failing his duty. Another was Blackulf who got hijacked by Uthred & co trying to regan Bebanburg. What happened to him in your mind? Did he get his head chopped of by Uhtred#2 when Uhtred#1 left or did he refloat his dear Rainboger? Theoretical question of course but would be nice to hear what would have happened had you written it.
Looking forward to your next book sir!
Mattias Fornberg

Hello,
The book will be released in Portugal. There are dates? Thanks
Georges Nicolas

Hey, Bernard!
I have just found your website and would like to congratulate you on the sheer enjoyment I have had from reading your books.

I have read I believe all of the Sharpe's books, and enjoyed them even more on audio where I think you can imagine the scenes better if someone tells the story to you! (If I'm traveling far I will always have a story on rather than music).

I would also like to know when you will be finishing the Starbuck Chronicles as 'The war has to end!' We all know the confederates lose, but its how they lose and how the Southern States rebuild afterwards. What does Starbuck do after the war?

Anyway, I just thought I would like to say Hi

Kind Regards
Chris Busby

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I would like to know, when will the Pagan Lord be published in german language?

Many thanks for a short response.

Best regards,

Thorsten Schnuettgen

I've read a few of your works, the Grail Quest series, the Arthur series, Stonehenge, one Sharpe book, and the Saxon/Warrior series. That last series nearly drove me mad as I never knew exactly how many books were in the series.  I started Death of Kings believing it would be the grand finale but at the end I knew there would be more to follow. Now I suspect it will be similar to the Sharpe series and run for quite awhile.  I don't mind at all and I'm looking forward to the US release of The Pagan Lord.
Do you do the book publisher tour when a new one comes out?  If so, I hope you make it to Austin, Texas.

Dennis Nobrega

Mr. Bernard Cornwell,
First I'd like to wish a belated Thanksgiving to you. Secondly, I'm re-reading Sharpe's Escape and Eagle, these past weeks, Sharpe's Eagle , which I sadly skipped parts in the past, is ingeniously captivating and full of detail, especially with Sharp'es rescue of the sullen discouraged South Essex from the French dragoons and artillery. May I ask if in the future a series of films following young Richard Sharpe is in the works, with Sharpe being played by a younger actor? However returning to Eagle  the best scene yet before the battle of Talavera, which I 've been too , was when Sir Henry Simmerson looks like a madman screaming  for cavalry and rides to the lumber yard  accompanied by General Rowland "Daddy"  Hill,  only to discover the South Essex on early parade in which Sharpe's Sergeant act saves the battalion from mutiny and severe floggings. Your truly a vivid storyteller, Gracias from Tucson AZ,

Best Regards,

Jorge Paez

What kind of pen you use to write Bernard? Do you prefer use computer typing or just write from a pen ? You are the master of medieval historical revival soul of european drama romance.
rafael

Dear Mr Cornwell,
Just wanted to say I am a huge fan of your works, in fact you are probably my favourite author. I have just finished reading the Saxon stories series from start to finish (for the 100th time) and about to read sharpe series for 1000th time. The pagan lord was absolutely enthralling, what I would like to know though, is this the end of Uhtred as we know him? What I mean by this is does his son, Uhtred, take over the narration of the books from now, or does Uhtred recover from his injuries and survive and be able to narrate in the future?
Thanks very much and I know you just get questions like this all the time
Iain

 

I am new to your books but I love them , I have read the Warrior series and I am now reading the Arthur series , is The Pagan Lord going to be the last of that series
Thank You Dave Buck

 

Dear Sir.  I enjoy your books so much, I've just finished The Pagan Lord and hope there is another chapter in the Uhtred story.  Can he please live to be 90???..
best wishes.   Clive.

 

Dear Bernard,
I literally just read the last page of the Pagan Lord.... Wow! Thank you for an excellent book! I thought Death of Kings and The Lords of the North (my personal favourites) could not be touched, but this book certainly hit the spot.
I will not write anything that might spoil the ending for those who haven’t read it yet, but there is no doubt about the possibility of at least one more Uhtred book or perhaps even more following the fate of his son(s)! Is there anything planned? Can you confirm that?
I am a bit of a sucker for lost dreams and thus cannot avoid comparing the history of Alfred the Great, who was never to see his dream of a Christian England come true but whose offspring continued that dream, with that of Uhtred and Bebbanburg! Perhaps it will be his son(s) who follow his dream? I was very touched by (and admittedly fearful for) Uhtred the son and your portrayal of him and his brother.
I will close by saying that I have often been grateful to an author for a book, and to one or two grateful for 2 or 3 or even 5 books. This is the first time I have been grateful for 7 books in a row. I wish I could start the 8th today.
Best regards,
Stephen Smith

 

Hello Mr Cornwell
Just a reply to the enquiry on your questions page about the willow stick and what it had to do with Archery. The phrase rang a bell and I looked in Robin Hood his Life and Legend by Bernard Miles (by the way that's the actor who played Magwitch in Great Expectations). Miles describes Robin first meeting the Outlaws - they have a competition, with an archery target that has a willow wand fastened to its centre 'they were splitting the wand, the most difficult of all archery contests...the wand was less than an inch across' maybe this has something to do with the idea of 'shot the willow stick for Agincourt?
Being from Nottingham the legend of Robin Hood has always interested me. Have you ever considered writing a novel about him?
Best Wishes and I hope it's not too long before you write another novel about Sharpe!
Daniel

oops....I mentioned that Bernard Miles played the character Magwitch, I got my wires crossed he was in Great Expectations, but not as Magwitch.

Hello Bernard.

You've said many times that you're not a historian and don't take notes of where you find information you use in your books and you enjoy not having the constraints of an historian, so what persuaded you to write a pure history book on Waterloo? Given there are many historical books on the battle, what will you be bringing in the book that others haven't? And, as a writer of historical fiction how did you find the constraints of history writing?

Separately, you've suggested in some of your answers to questions that you were planning a series set in Elizabethan times, but now will probably continue with Uthred (great!) - will the Elizabethan series come next or will you stick with Uthred until his tale is done?

Finally, I see Conn Iggulden has started a series on the Wars of the Roses - have you read the first book? Also, one of your readers has asked about novels on Richard III - one of the best I've read  is The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman (who is a fan of
your battle-writing ability BTW) - I believe she's revising it (or has??) following the discovery of his body.

Bests.

Chris