Your Questions

Mr. Cornwell,

I stayed up very late last night, finished 1356, and spend some futile hours trying to remember my password, so I could order the rest of the "Grail" series.  Turns out I already had Vagabond and probably read it along with the Sharpe series and the other books you've written.  My question:  Will you carry us through the 100 Years War as you did the Napoleonic Wars?  Just so I can plan the rest of my life.

Keep writing.  And...do the battle and death scenes ever haunt you?  Just wondering.

Jill Ferguson

A sometime neighbor in Columbia, SC

I am a Brazilian fan of your books and a I have a question for you, who so deeply study the history of war and strategies.
Why did take so long to the adoption of the cartridges gun shells? Since the development of the first fire guns  it took almost 500 years for the cartridge to be accepted.
I’ve read that there are historical registers of some cartridges ancestors in the XV or XVI century, used by the Netherland's king's forces and wonder what has gone wrong with these beta testers, once the rapid fire seems to be a great advantage in combat.
Pedro de Assis

I have just finished 1356 and I enjoyed it very much. I wondered if you had come across the story of Sir John Chandos in your research of the hundred years war?  He was from Radbourne in Derbyshire (a few miles from where I grew up) and was one of the original Knights of the Garter. His life seems a fascinating one. Apparently he was not only a fierce warrior and skilled military strategist, he was also a peacemaker whose untimely death was regretted by both the English and French sides as he was seen as a key to finding a lasting peace. If you should ever return to the Sir Thomas Hookton stories in the future I hope you include a few lines about Sir John Chandos as his story does seem a little lost to history.
Timothy Stephenson

First I want to state that I'm American so this is all a little confusing to me.  Recently the BBC put on Facebook a rhyme that is supposed to help British school children memorize all of the British Monarchs in order.  Problem is they start with William the Conqueror.  Was all before William I not considered official?  I always thought that Harold was the first.
Don Sawyer

Mr Cornwell,

I would first like to take this opportunity to thank you for considerably more than a decade of reading pleasure and commend you for maintaining a consistently high standard of writing for a good deal longer than that.

Secondly, having only recently read Sharpe's wikipedia article for the first time and been shocked to discover allegations of recreational cricket on his part (and I must confess only after experiencing an unseemly outburst of hilarity due to the sheer cognitive dissonance involved when coupling 'Rough-and-Ready' Richard Sharpe with this particular, decidedly upper-crust sport) I felt that I had no other sensible choice but to beg you for confirmation of the fact that Sharpe played cricket for FUN.

Then I took a look through those queries which you had already answered and thought it more sensible to ask instead "What in the world does Richard Sharpe do for fun?" (besides give the more egregiously elitist fits).

Thank you in advance for being patient with both my delusions of humour and my query - all my best to you and to your own.
E D

I totally am enjoying your Saxon Tales books, am currently reading The Burning Land.  I am fascinated by this time in history and have read many historical fiction novels about England and Wales.  I came across an article on line about the casting for the TV series, posted 11 months ago, but can not find any mention of when it will begin or which network will carry the series.  So, if you have a start date and network on which it will be carried, I would be most appreciative.  I am excited for the History Channel's Vikings to start again in January 2014...after seeing that series, I started looking for historical fiction books about Vikings and was delighted to find Saxon Tales.
Carol Garrow

Hi Bernard,

With success of Game of Thrones could Uhtred and Alfred be the next big series? Think it could have major success and think it would be awesome!! You have so much real history!! Could help interest in origins of England, UK etc!!

Hope it does happen, not since Sharpe has such a character really taken with me.

Also any chance the Nathaniel Starbuck series be made into a film/TV series?

Kind regards life long fan since I discovered Sharpe aged 10, circa 1990!

Steve Millar

Gidday Bernard,

just wondering if you watch and like the Vikings tv series,as it has Ragnar Lothbrok in it,who's descendants you have in some of your saxon novels.
Wayne

Are you going to write any more Starbuck Chronicles
Lloyd Hersh

 

When will the next Nathaniel Starbucks book come out.  You have left me wondering what happens in the rest of the war to Starbuck.
Thanks for writing such entertaining books
Roy Cavellini

 

Hello Mr Cornwell
Have been a big fan of Sharpe for a long time but would like to know if you will ever get around to written any more of the Starbuck  story
Peter Dunbar

Oho, Sir B! May we deduce from your 'He thinks he's English' answer about dear Richard that, when it's his turn again for the spotlight, we might in fact find out who his father (is? was?) Or is it soil best left unturned?

Thank you for all your stories. They have inspired me to care about time periods that I didn't suspect I would. I have had the happy privilege of introducing a number of new readers to your tales here at the library at which I work. May you write many, many more!
Patrick Provant