Your Questions

Dear Mr Cornwell
I have read most of your books and have just finished Pagan Lord in one sitting and greatly enjoyed it. I thought it would be the last in the Warrior Chronicles. However, I was very pleased to see in one of your answers that there is more to come. Will Uhtred's son play a more prominent role? Were you being cryptic in the last line of the Historical Note by saying:' Uhtred will be there to witness it' . Uhtred senior or junior?
Unfortunately, I will have to wait and see.
Thank you for all the enjoyable books.
Yours sincerely
Brian

Bernard,
>From one of your strongest advocates here in Australia, I've felt compelled to write to you once again. After waiting 9 months for The Pagan Lord to be released, I finally opened the pages to be transfixed into this wonderful brutal world of English history.
You made a point of introducing former "characters" in the Uhtred saga which was a little contrived. Maybe, this is the last chapter of our super-hero and you wanted to bring them all together in a fitting finale?
Nevertheless, I will still be waiting for the last chapters of Richard Sharpe, the great British hero, who surely must now rest on sheer animal cunning and intelligence than the brute force of his earlier years. Thank you so much.
Howard Boughton

 

Hi there Mr. Cornwell.

Great books, your brilliant. Will there be more books past book 7 in the Warrior Chronicles?!?!  I didn't sleep a wink last night due to the ending of book 7.  Uhtred loves to Quote Fate, so, make it 8!

Troy

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

I'm sure you have probably been asked this before, but who are some of your favorite authors?  Also, what do you read for pleasure, other than historical fiction, and why?
P.S.  All of your books are great!
Ben Mercer

I have always been fascinated by a good authors ability to have his character solve problems in ingenious, clever, subtle, etc. ways. Sharpe does it over and over.  If you could project Sharpe's solutions onto  the political scene...what would you have him do to fix Washington DC?
Belinda Baker, MLS

I gather you are a sailor, as am I. I heard that you sail a traditional boat. I sail a Cape Dory 36, a Carl Alberg design, built in 1979, not exactly a classic but at least classic plastic. Would you like to tell your readers more about this side of your life? Where have you sailed? Why do you prefer classic boats. What about sailing interests you? What (besides Hornblower) do you consider great books about sailing and the sea? (My book collection features two authors who show up more frequently: Bernard Cornwell and Patrick O'Brian.)
David VanDenburgh

The Pagan Lord is a brilliant story, enormously well written but you have surpassed yourself with the final 4 pages (thank goodness for the historical note).  I now have 30 Cornwell first editions and desperately need you to walk through West Mersea with a pen in your hand - all the first editions are going to middle grandson but not yet! - bookshelf space is at crisis level.  Two questions will you fill another desk/bookcase if I get one (I know you can't answer that!) and have you any plans to come to the UK again?

Oh, yes, what's next please?
Roger Gaspar

I haven't yet read The Pagan lord so apologies if this is answered in there but I have started reading the Saxon Series from the start again and whislt reading the start of The Last kingdom you write that the story is about how Ethelflaed became so important to England. Whilst her presence has become greater and greater with each book, in The Death of Kings she was still not, what I would call, a major character.

Therefore, can I ask if the theme of the story arc has changed since The Last Kingdom or whether you still intend for the series to be the telling of Ethelflaed's story. I'm not complaining, but it was something that struck me upon re-reading and with knowledge of the rest of the series so far up to Death of Kings.
Andrew Rose

Dear Bernard
Please put us out of our misery and tell us who Sharpe's father was. This puzzle has now been running longer than The Peninsular War.
Keep up the brilliant work
Sincerely
John Hill

Hello Bernard,

I can't quite believe that you are so willing to communicate with your readers! I shall now take advantage of this facility though!

I see you spent some of your working life in my fair city of birth. Have you ever been back to visit? I'm 30 years old and the city has changed quite a bit around me as I've grown up. I'm sure the city feels quite different to someone who was working here at the height of 'our trouble'.

Also, I have often wondered if there would be a readership for stories of Ireland from the Viking/Danish era up to and around the Norman invasion. From your experience in the publishing and writing world, do you think this is an angle publishers might be interested in.

I love Uhtred! Currently reading the latest tale.

Peace and man-hugs from an big fan of your work.
Michael Rose

Dear Bernard,
Just wondering if you watched the extraordinary events unfold around discovery of Richard III body beneath a car park in Leiscter, and saw the programme shown over here (via YouTube maybe) about the manner of its discovery and the seemingly mystical course of events that led to this.
The reconstruction of his face left me really very emotional, especially when they found the 10 different injuries he endured at the time of his death. Basically sustained in the middle of a huge crush of men intent on killing him.
Is Richard III a subject/ person you are interested in? Did the events around his discovery have any effect on you? Inspire you to consider a novel about him or his time period?
Would be very interesting to read your take on the legend and the actual man.. (He did have scoliosis of the spine, and consequently a hunch back, was very, very slight, but was so impressive a fighter that even his worst haters remarked on his skill and valour)
James

Do you ever think you will come to Denmark for a signing or something like that. I would also recommend if you came to Denmark you should visit the new Viking exhibition in the National Museum.  Also are you already working on a new big series? I am really looking forward to the Pagan Lord and do you think you will ever revisit the Sharpe series again?
Jeremy Hillock