Your Questions

Q

Dear Cornwell; I'm from Turkey, I'd like to say a lot,but excuse me, my English very bad!. I love world history(Türks(turan),english,greek,rome) and I very love your books. Maybe you write something for the Crimean War, 1853,for Sharpe's, it would be nice :) Thank you, for your books. Serdar Arpac1o’lu

Submitted July 5, 2011

A

I've thought of it, but it's not likely to happen...too many other things I want to write first.

Q

How is Uhtred pronounced exactly? Thanks.

Matthew

Submitted July 5, 2011

A

Uhtred? to rhyme with hoot, but with a slight guttural inflection - oot-red.

Q

Hi Mr Cornwell, I have written to you before for various instances in the past. I am from Australia and am aspiring to be a writer myself. I ma up to publishing stage and will no doubt not find one due to how rubbish my book is. Nevertheless I will go on and in the same breath apologize for not having read 'the fort' at this time even though it sits patiently on my bedside. My question is simple and one that you may not be able to answer. When do you think the latest saxon novel 'death of kings' will be released in Australia? All the best from the avid fan known as Drew

Submitted July 5, 2011

A

I believe Australia follows the UK publication dates, so I think you should see Death of Kings in Australia in late September (at least I hope so!).

Q

Hi, I'm a serving Officer in the London Fire Brigade I would like to thankyou for making my journeys driving to and from work the most enjoyable parts of my day. I listen to your audio books, Azincourt was fantastic, you bring history alive. Most recently I have listening to the Starbuck chronicles, after recently finishing book 4 I was disappointed to find that there were no more books in the series (yet??) Are there any plans to resurrect the series? It can't finish there surely, there is unfinished business for Starbuck not least of all with General Faulkner! Kind Regards, Spencer

With the 150 year anniversary of The American Civil War underway, are you going to undertake the continuation of the Starbuck Chronicles...many of your fans certainly hope so...Terry May

I started reading your books 1.5 years ago and since then I have read everything you have written. My favorite series was the Starbuck Chronicles, and I was wondering whether you were considering writing any more Starbuck books. Thank you for your novels, Ben

Hi Mr. Cornwell, first of all let me say that I truly enjoy all of your books. I have recently reread the Starbuck series for the third time; I know that your time is probably stretched to to limit with ever new and exciting stories, but will we readers ever see a completion to the Starbuck series? Thank you again for many hours of pure enjoyment, a very happy reader, sincerely, Andy Williamson ps. do you or will you ever come to Canada on a book signing tour?

I have just finished reading bloody ground and am desperate to find out what happens next and how people will respond to his injury for example his father if he survives

Rhys Allen

Submitted July 5, 2011

A

I do need to return to Starbuck one of these days! I've been to Canada, but not in awhile. Maybe I'll get back there soon?

Q

I have read all the Sharpe novels, and several twice. But I`ve been trying to locate the one I remember in which Sharpe, having been deceived by his wife, who has run off with his money and an aristocrat, sees from the top of the stairs at a posh dinner the man himself. Sharpe bounds down the stairs and then through the throng and the food. Please, which book is this ? MB

Submitted July 5, 2011

A

Sharpe's Waterloo.

Q

Hi Bernard , your Sharpe books are brilliant I really enjoy reading them and watching the series on tv. Please can you keep on writing the sharpe books , have you any plans to write more sharpe novels? Regards, Dell.

Submitted July 5, 2011

A

Yes, there will be more Sharpe.

Q

Mr.Cornwell are you really a descendent of Uchtred the Bold? Jake Trotman

Submitted July 5, 2011

A

What I know was discovered by a member of my birth family (I only met them about seven or eight years ago). They were fortunate in being a prominent family . . . in Saxon times they were, first, kings of Bernicia (now lowland Scotland) then earls of Northumbria (thus the connection with Bebbanburg), and even after their fall (thanks to Cnut) they remained as county gentry in north Yorkshire . . . we know very little about him other than he lived at Bebbanburg as his father and grandfather had done. So my tales of him are pure invention!

Q

Good Afternoon, i have recently read 'True Soldier Gentlemen' by Adrian Goldsworthy about the 106th Foot in Portugal at the beginning of the Peninsular War. Have you read it? If so, what do you think of it? If not, do you plan to read it, and the rest of the impending series? A final request, please write some more Sharpe books soon.

Peter Green

Submitted June 28, 2011

A

I haven't read it, but I will, thank you! And yes, more Sharpe soon!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell. When that long awaited time comes to write another Sharpe adventure can I suggest that it is based around the action at Albuera. This involved the Worcester's who were also at Rolica and Talavera where they captured two French standards ( to Sharpe's one) but because the French had unscrewed the Eagles from the top of the standards means that it does not count. I think we deserve some redress in this matter as Wellington himself said "I wish very much that some measures could be adopted to get some recruits for the 29th. It is the best Regiment in the army." Wellington's Regiments by Ian Fletcher.

On a totally different level, was it easier to write about Sharpe, as history dictated that Wellington would eventually win compared with writing Starbuck when history dictates that Lee will eventually loose. Love your books. Never stop writing them. Mike Walker. Worcester. UK.

Submitted June 28, 2011

A

I'll think on it! I need to write another Sharpe soon and I'd love to put him at Albuera, though I don't suppose he'll thank me for that day of horror.

Not really - Starbuck is in a more difficult situation, which makes him interesting. I need to get back to him too!

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I was wondering how long it takes you to come up with a plot and how many drafts you write before you arrive with the final book. Kind regards Tom Conlon

Submitted June 28, 2011

A

It takes most of the time it takes to write the book! Does that make sense? Probably not. Some writers (lucky people) know their plot before they start a book, but I'm one of those who don't have a clue. E.L. Doctorow cleverly said that writing a novel is like driving on an unfamiliar and winding country road at night with very dim headlights, and you can only see as far ahead as those inadequate lights reveal - and that's true for me, so you end up discovering wrong turnings and dead ends, and go back again and again, and again and again, however many times it takes. I usually reckon that the first two thirds of a book will be rewritten about seven times . . . the last third ought to be a bit easier because by then you can see the road's ending (you hope). But writing on a computer - well, they're not separate drafts as they used to be with a typewriter. I go back a hundred times a day and change something . . . but seven seems about right.