Your Questions

Hello Bernard

I'm very excited to read the return of Mr Sharpe this Christmas! We've missed him! i'm assuming his kill count will be going up again ? i like it when Sharpie is in a violent mood....

Something i was wondering about Sharpe's Waterloo, though...Pat is referred to as an "Armed Civilian" , because he's not in the South Essex anymore, but he is armed and is ready. So, were "Armed Civilians" actually a real thing? Could someone with a gun just turn up on the battlefield? Harper sticks with Sharpe at Waterloo, but would an Armed Civilian be under Military Discipline or taking orders? i remember in Zulu (classic film!), there's the Boer fellow, Allendorf, and he gets told to "pick his own ground", , so i'm not sure if he's under Chard's orders or not?

Can you shed any light on the Armed Civilian issue?

Another thing i wanted to ask you is, i've been watching a series called Bad Lad's Army  , which was one of those Living History things, where a group of petty criminals are put through 50's-style National Service , to see if it helps them change their ways.

So, my question is, should we bring back National Service?

 

Anyway, that's two questions from me, so i'll shut up now!

 

oh, ps i wrote to you a few years ago, grumbling about the lack of Steapa in War of Kings, calling myself "Lord Grumpy Grumpyson"! i was very glad to see him back in Warlord, and i'm assuming it was my fearsome grumpyness that convinced you to put him in...?

 

Yours

Lord "Not Quite as " Grumpy Grumpyson

 

Good day and a wonderful year to you sir.

I was just musing on a much older Sharpe having to deal with an old adversary.

If you wrote it, would he come? (Bean, that is).

Would the syndicates show interest?

(Wouldn't that be fun).

1. Apropos of nothing, I wonder what your all-time favourite movie is?

Haha.

Take great care of yourself. You've helped my life.

Bestest,

SON

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

my name is Maurizia and I am Italian.

I apologize in advance for my bad English but I haven't spoken it or writing it for years.

I'm a great lover of fantasy and historical novels.

I must admit that I discovered a passion for historical novels after reading The Saxon Stories that you masterfully wrote. No novel has ever fascinated me as much as these. I must admit that a part of the credit goes to the TV series that they have drawn from the novels because if it were not for it I would not have known her works.

Surely I will also read the other sagas, I do not promise them all, because not all the historical periods you tells fascinate me and this is a strong deterrent for me. I'm a little "taliban" in this sense.

I am also a budding writer even if my genre remains fantasy for now. However after reading his novels I decided to make the world in which I set my story much more real, because I realized that there have been periods in history when reality was better (or worse) than fantasy.

Thanks for the great inspiration.

I wanted to compliment you on the historical research work she has done in order to have the information to use in her novels.

Although it is his job to be a historian, it must not have been easy to retrieve information that is not of a common nature.

I'll explain.

I would like to write a novel that has been buzzing in my head about the Celts for some time, but the only historical sources we have about them are the Roman writings, primarily the De Bello Gallico. It is a partisan narrative and we do not know if this was really the case. So how to create a novel that has the Celts as protagonists without falling into Roman stereotypes and without abandoning oneself to the romantic but unreliable visions, perhaps, that many have about Celts from 800 d.c. onwards?

The author's imagination has a fundamental importance of course, but in my opinion it takes a right balance between historical facts and fantasy.

How do you manage these doubts?

Thanks for your attention and good work.

Maurizia

 

Dear Bernard,

I've just read your latest book Sharpe's Assassin. As with all your books I can't put them down. Did Captain Burrell exist? I was crying with laughter when Harper was told not to buy a monkey and he turns up with one. Will  Sharpe appear again ?. Any news of  the Starbuck chronicles. I read somewhere that an American Producer was making a series for Television. I hope that it will appear in UK or be available on DVD. please keep up your great work and have a nice day.

Many thanks

Colin Burrell

Hi Bernard,

as a 13 yr kid watching Sharpe got me into your books. I have at 41 started re-reading the books in chronological order, I feel that there is room for a new series. I am currently watching Rifles and feel that after reading India, Denmark, Trafalgar etc, that sorting put a new series would be awesome (sure you get this all the time).

Telling the story of Sharpe from his Origins (as a kid) to an officer would inspire a new generation of young people. Sharpe epitomises the struggles of society that still echoes today. Add in new elements and it could be modernised to a certain extent.

Please tell me a new Sharpe could be in the offing (though replacing Bean, would be hard)?

Well I don’t expect a response, but I hope in the future a new Sharpe series could be done with anyone but Netflix (don’t have a subscription) not caught up with Uhtred since it moved from BBC.

Carry on writing and even after 28 yrs

These books still resonate.

Steve Millar

Hi There

I have just finished the Saxon series, did you write a book following Finan back to Ireland or have I got that information wrong?  Do you think there might be a possibility of another book to find out how the last kingdom was lost?

I’ve really enjoyed the series and look forward to reading more of your books.

Karin Willoughby

 

Have you given any thoughts to completing the book C S Forester left unfinished 'Hornblower and the Crisis'?

Eddie Bleasdale

 

Dear Bernard

For future books have you ever thought of a 1 off book on the Battle of Guildford Courthouse? An outnumbered British beats not 1 but 3 American defence lines yet the casualties make it a phyricc victory and argubly a strategic victory for the Americans with many historians think it leads to Yorktown. This is a really good but fair account of both sides by Lawrence Babits to tempt you

Geraint

https://www.amazon.com/Long-Obstinate-Bloody-Lawrence-Babits/dp/1469609886/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=guilford+courthouse&qid=1633544604&sr=8-4

Hey Bernard,

Over the past few months I've started reading your last kingdom series, its been a major driving force in reading becoming a big hobby for me. I just recently finished Warriors of the storm so I don't have many books left to go until the end!

One of my favorite recurring characters so far has definitely been Haesten but I guess I won't be seeing him anymore! I was curious did you always plan for him to die in the way he did? I was hoping he would last until the end of the series and become one of Uhtred's final challenges, especially until at least this point I think he was the most recurring antagonist and always managed to find a way to escape.

I also recently took a trip to Chester while reading Warriors of the storm so it was really interesting to be able to walk along the roman wall and then have characters mention it in the book.

I also loved the final confrontation between Cnut and Uhtred, the whole battle was so intense and the ending to Pagan Lord has been my favorite so far.

At least up until the point I am at in the series there always seems to be a one on one fight at the end of each book, without giving spoilers past Warriors of the storm if possible what are your favorite 1 on 1 confrontations you have written?  My two personal favorites are Ragnar vs Kjartan & Uhtred vs Cnut.

I'm excited to finish off reading the rest of the series and to see what happens to Uhtred. I look forward to hopefully hearing from you but I understand you are busy! I love the series!

Kind Regards

Kurtis

Hi Bernard,

Was great to see your snippets leading up to the release of Sharpe's Assassin (I've just started it).

I'm writing to ask why Sharpe (now a Lt Col) would address Major Vincent as "sir" and why he wouldn't  rake Vincent for addressing Sharpe by name?

Also just a gentle prodding reminder you agreed to name a character "Allyn" haha Many many thanks for the years and years of entertainment, always a pleasure to escape into a new Cornwellian adventure and I am devouring this latest one at a pace!

Allyn

 

 

I have just finished Sharpe's assassin and was amused when Sharpe admonished Major Morris for calling him colonel instead of sir, in the Household Cavalry all ranks address Lt. Colonels and above by by their rank and not sir, this has led to problems when members of the regiments are deployed to other units.

Peter Brown