Your Questions

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I have a question to you because you wrote about that time and place: I would be interested how the London Harbour or London Port (what is right?) might have looked in the times of the viking invasions. I hope that you maybe have some links for me concerning that topic. I´m interested in it because I´m writing a kind of tale and I invented a town near a river. I try to make some drawings of it at the moment and yes - I think my harbour is too small. Thank you very much and a lots of greetings, Paul Mittelsdorf from Germany

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

I'm not sure I know of any links, but there are a number of good books on the history of London that might help, but it's really pretty easy! The Thames was much wider back then, and of course it was tidal, so the north bank was heavily covered with timber wharves allowing ships to tie up - the wharves were first made by the Romans, and the existence of the Roman bridge meant they were thicker downriver of the bridge. It's not a 'harbour' as such, just a row of wharves on the muddy banks of a tidal river!

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I read and enjoyed the Fort; very good it was. At the end you commented on the relative veracity of the reputations of Lovell, Saltonstall and Revere. You finally came to the conclusion that perhaps only Revere really would have had the fire in his belly to carry the day, and the Fort. You said that Peleg Wadsworth might not have spoken to his grandson, Longfellow on the subject of Revere, and so Longfellow's poem selected Revere for canonisation without reference to what Wadsworth thought. But I wonder if Wadsworth didn't agree with you, thinking Revere might have been the better commander, and Longfellow was operating to reverse the balance on whom he might have seen as an unfairly excoriated man. Also we are not required to agree with grandfathers. My own grandfather (who had worked in the same bank as him) described Michael Collins as "a young fool who went off to die for Ireland" whereas I think the world of him. Regards Jonathan Mills

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

I'm not sure it was my 'conclusion', merely a somewhat capricious suggestion! And I suspect Wadsworth's opinion of Revere was virtually unprintable, and I can find no evidence that his opinion of Revere was ever anything except disapproving. My own suspicion is that Longfellow knew nothing of his grandfather's dealings with Revere, and if he had known then he would never have written the poem - at least not about Revere. His own account suggests that he was fairly ignorant of Revere's doings until a friend showed him the silversmith's grave, and I suspect as well that he was entranced by the name which is, indeed, splendid! But Peleg Wadsworth, I'm sure, regarded Revere with something close to contempt.

Q

Hi Bernard, I absolutely loved Azincourt and hope that the movie does come through and is actually good, because the battle and the buildup are masterfully crafted. What really fascinated me about the book is its, by your standards, very non-cynical portrayal of Henry V, especially given the number of historians who attribute greed and ego to his actions. I noticed that this portrayal of Henry means that the story tallies neatly with the Bard's rendition, so is it a case of you deferring to the language's greatest author, or do you think Harry was simply that nice a bloke? I suppose on the law of averages their needs to be some pleasant monarchs.. (I also considered that the story's entirely from Nick's point of view, so his view of the politics is undoubtedly a fairly simple one..)

Jared Hansen

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

Hmmmm - I'm not sure Henry was a 'nice bloke' at all, though he was certainly the greatest general of his age. I rather dislike him, mainly because of his fanatical attachment to his religion which caused him to acts of supreme cruelty (in dealing with the lollards who were, by any measure, harmless and even admirable). Henry comes into his own on the battlefield and he was an inspirational leader, fortified, of course, by his belief that God was on his side!

Q

Firstly I love your rules- polite and to the point. I have just come by to say I am very pleased to hear the Thomas of Hookton will return. He is fabulous character and I look forward to the book when it comes out. I was just wondering if you do book signings on the Cape - since that is where you live. One more thing - John Wetton of Asia mentioned your name on his website a while back. Here is part of his description of one of his songs in which he talks about your good self "...I'm a big student of medieval warfare---one of the best authors to read for factual as well as fictional material is Bernard Cornwell--his detail is staggering, and his descriptions of Crusades battles are second-to-none..." The song by the way is called Holy War. Just thought I would drop that in for you to see if you haven't already. I am glad he did. I was reading your Saxon series at the time and when I finished I went to The Grail Quest series and he is spot on. The series is a real good read - and now I am going to look at Sumption's Hundred Years War series. Thank you very much. (Now I just need a good book on medieval weaponry to help with the details).

Debb

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

Thank you! I don't currently have any book signings scheduled on Cape Cod - but if that changes it will surely be posted to the Diary page of this website.

Q

Mr. Cornwell, I was directed to your books during a sword demonstration at the local library. The Archer's Tale is my favorite of your books. Will Thomas of Hookton be appearing in any more of your novels? I enjoy all of your books very much. Anthony

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

Yes! The one I'm working on now.

Q

Dear Bernard After writing about Sir John Moore in the Fort do you think you will ever write a one off book about the battle of Corunna and his death (though with many of the major battles in Spain it was the one Sharpe missed!) yet if the British had lost that fight there would have been no army for Wellington to use to win his victories?? Yours sincerely Geraint

P.S If you have not read it I can recommend A Matter of Honour: The Life, Campaigns and Generalship of Isaac Brock by Jonathon Riley as worth look as like Moore (And Wolfe before him) he seems to be another general that died in his hour of victory I guess again the question will you ever have go at him?

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

I'm not really sure - I've often thought about it, but will it happen? Not in the near future, alas

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, Stonehenge is a subject that interest me because early history is my passion (and Art History, 17th Century Holland) my profession. I have seen most great archaeology museums in the Western world including that of Vienna, Paris, Carnac. What I found while reading Stonehenge - it is a very readable story... however after page 100 or so, something started to itch and chafe: I detected an enormous chasm between a red blooded European outlook which would allow for unabashed description of bodily functions and bodily fluids and fierce sexual encounters - - - and on the other hand your USA based outlook which, it seems to me, is permeated by a politically correct thinking and thus infused by a very reticent attitude towards the above. Have you seen the HBO series entitled Rome? have you seen images of mural art in Pompeii? Have you seen Roman art depicting carnal life? Have you seen Greek art about the same? Further back in time the image store does not allow us to see much in factual images. However, what you do see in the visual arts and the texts of Greece, Rome is an example of how fierce and gory and bloody and carnal and unabashed that world was. It was not a USA-style, pilgrim father style politically correct and anti-sexual life.. Stretching the mind back to 2000 BC, I would expect the fierce primal urges to be visible and alive in daily life. Yours sincerely, Drs Kees Kaldenbach, Amsterdam, Holland.

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

I have lots of readers who are fairly young, and in time they will discover the delights, but in my books they're hinted at rather than described. though I did get a message on Facebook the other week which excoriated me for the sexual content of my latest book, and it turned out to be a book by someone else. I continue to disappoint my readers, alas.

Q

I just ordered the UK version of Death of Kings on Amazon because I did not want to wait until 2012 for US version. After doing so I thought - is there a difference between the US english version and the UK english version. Please let me know. By the way - I love your books!

Scott Fraser

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

No difference, with the exception of the spelling of a few words and, most often, the book covers.

Q

hello, I'm a huge fan from Belgium. At this moment I'm reading the saxon stories and i was wondering if you could give me some information about the recruitment of the saxon armies at the time? like the recruitment of the fyrd and who made a part of it(thegns only or also peasantry?). I have found a couple of things on internet, but i was wondering if you could recommend me some books? I'm very interested in Britain in the dark ages, but you find so few things about it. thx for your time

Henk

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

The fyrd was a citizen army - in theory every able-bodied man was a part of it. This meant that large armies could be raised quickly, though there were drawbacks: the army had to be fed and supplied (difficult), and their training was plainly inadequate to face ruthless professional warriors. So, in practice, the fyrd was most useful for defending the burhs - a job where their lack of training was not nearly so important because they had the ditch and wall to protect them. I think the best book to consult would be John Prebble's 'Alfred, Warrior King', which has a good deal about the Burghal Hidage (the system for raising the fyrd and allotting it to the defence of the burhs).

Q

In the King Arthur series I believe there was a pivotal battle set @ Maiden Castle. I will be visiting there soon and wish to re-read that sequence but cannot remember which volume it is contained in. Can you direct me? Thank you

Charles Burgan

Submitted August 2, 2011

A

I think you're referring to the Battle of Mount Badon? The only battle at Maiden Castle that I know of was fought between the British and the Romans, and so predates the Arthurian era. My description of Mount Badon is in Excalibur.