Your Questions

Hello Bernard -

Of course I'm just another of those fans... Started with Uhtred, books and TV, then Last Fort (excellent story BTW sir, about that little known event, even to US Navy veteran here!), Agincourt, but now plowing thru all the Sharpes stories (saw the TV series an eon ago when my hair was dark and full). I digress.

One of I and my wife's favorite discussions, as she is an excellent cook who also prepped in cafes in Ann Arbor, have to do with the "french recipes", and others, that you sneak into your narratives. Always a bit cheek, too - lol. Who gives you these ideas? They are fun, and sound strangely believable for their time.

Thanks for the years of entertainment!

Gary

Hi Mr Cornwell,

Firstly, as a fellow Brit-voluntarily-exiled-in-America (Glasgow-Virginia), I would like to say that I very much appreciate your perspective, as read on your website and occasionally heard in podcast interviews and such (and sometimes in the books, particularly Sharpe), on aspects of life between the two countries.  While America is largely a familiar and friendly place, it occasionally just feels very alien and "not like home", and when I have a yearning for the Shipping Forecast or the classified football results, or the smell of a proper British pub (or to watch Scotland winning four Calcutta Cups in a row in said British pub...), some voices and influences are quite reassuring, among which is definitely yours.  Hope that makes sense!

Anyway, my question is this (and apologies if it has been covered before on the website):  Have you ever been tempted to publish an assorted collection of short stories?  Plainly the novel is your medium, and I do know a lot of authors don't do both (and a lot of publishers dislike them for financial reasons!) but I am thinking of Len Deighton who published many great novels and one collection of short stories, Declarations of War, which is still one of my favourite books.  Also Stephen King, who has repeatedly published collections.  It might be a convenient way to wrap up loose ends.  I can see why - with the climate surrounding US civil war memory having somewhat changed in the last 20-odd years - you may never write another Starbuck, but a short story might be a way to draw a line under his story and satisfy some reader curiosity on that subject.  Likewise for Gallow's Thief and any other business unfinished and unlikely to be finished in novel form?

Anyway, Kind Regards,

Mathew Annis

 

Greetings!

I just finished Sharpe's Assassin and immensely enjoyed it! I'm very glad that before I read it, I had previously read Went the Day Well? and Waterloo: The Aftermath. These books both added to my overall enjoyment to the story. Did you use either of these in your research? Additionally, I really enjoyed Sharpe finally getting even with Morris. That was long over due, but worth the wait. I really liked seeing a tender side to Wellington in the epilogue. I also seem to remember somewhere you said that you regret writing Sharpe's Devil? That's another book I enjoyed. It leads me to wonder if in your mind, Devil is still cannon, or do Sharpe's adventures end after Assassin? I feel either place is a good note to leave him on.

I just started Sharpe's Command and I'm really enjoying it. However, I'm curious, am I remembering this wrong, or is Sharpe still technically supposed to be a Captain right now? I thought he made brevet Major around Christmas, 1812. Regardless, he's always been able to do the impossible, so backdating his promotion isn't beyond his abilities.

Best wishes, and I hope for more wonderful stories from you.

Cameron Stewart

Dear Bernard,

Like all of your other fans I sincerely want to THANK and CONGRATULATE you, for all  your novels from your first to your last. I mentioned in a previous post I first got into you through the story of Uhtred. What initially attracts me to any book is the book cover graphics, then I read the brief outline of plot and subject. Being a son of Wessex myself the story of Alfred and the unification of England has been of interest since school days and, like you, bemoan the fact that it gets (or did) barely a mention in our school's history. Therefore this series quickly consumed me. So I'm extremely excited to learn that you are considering another novel in this series and implore you to do so. It would make all your many readers very happy!

I understand from a recent reply to another fan's question that your next novel will be a Sharpe. Eagerly looking forward to it. Are you able to give us a hint as to what that one is about? Or do we have to wait until much closer to the publication?

Any chance you might get to Canada (specifically Vancouver) at some point in the future for a talk/book signing event?

Yours sincerely,

Martin

Dear Bernard

I wondered if you had read Jonathon Sumptions' final volume on the Hundred Years War Triumph and Illusion and whether you had any plans to cover some of the English defeats like Patay and Formingby from the British Perspective. After all you've done the wins it's only fair to do the losses

Yours sincerely

Geraint

 

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Hi Bernard,

I thoroughly enjoyed the grail quest, 1356 and Azincourt. I'm pleased how Thomas was mentioned in Azincourt as "a Lord who died of 1000 acres".

So my question is do you have any plans to revisit Nicolas Hook?

Regards

I was wondering if you are planning on continuing Uhtred's journey?

I'm longing for more.

Cheers

Ollie Miller

Hi Bernard,

Congratulations on the success of your career. I am interested, have you ever been tempted or interested in writing novels set towards the end of the viking age in Britain? For example around the Battle of Stamford Bridge or Battle of Hastings. Personally, I would like to read your story telling of Harold Hardrada.

Regards

Jim

Hello Bernard.

I just wanted to say that your works have been of great inspiration to me—and my work as a writer—for many years now, but I often find myself going back to your Grail Quest series. The atmosphere is superb, the writing is immaculate, and the story is simply brilliant. I was wondering if there’s any chance that you’d consider writing one last book for Thomas to bookend his story.

 

Sincerest regards,

Blake

Dear Mr Cornwell,

Do you think that you may ever write book depicting the English Civil War or the Jacobite rising of 1745?

Your attention to historic detail, plus ability to build a genuine, captivating story would easily play well along either of those bloody period of British history.

Kind regards,

Charles