Your Questions

Q

Dear Bernard Was just curious in a future Viking novel if not Death of Kings will Uhtred ever get to the Viking siege of Chester ???

After the Fort will you ever write again on the AR and if you did I wondered if you have ever been tempted by this guy, http://home.golden.net/~marg/bansite/btintro.html.

And after reading Sharpes Eagle where its said that he is Simmerson's cousin did you ever have plans for him to ever meet Sharpe as I think he would probably get on more with him than his cowardly cousin. Yours sincerely, Geraint

Submitted June 5, 2011

A

I honestly don't know . . . . I'll only know when I get to that book!

I don't have any plans to write another novel set in the American Revolution (but who knows?).

I don't know whether Sharpe and Simmerson will meet again - but Simmerson is probably hoping not!

Q

SKIRMISHERS. In horse cavalry days, what tactics were used to combat skirmishers? Other skirmishers? Cavalry patrols? What worked best in easy rolling hills with plenty of drainage gullies? Thanks & best, John

Submitted June 5, 2011

A

Not quite sure what you're asking here . . . . skirmishers and cavalry rarely met (the skirmishers would withdraw to their parent battalion at the first sign of horsemen). The forward picquets of an army were frequently light cavalry, chosen for their mobility. In the country you suggest it would have been light cavalry picquets . . . if infantry was used then they would be in a defensible position, preferably fortified and within support distance of other troops.

Q

Dear Bernard Was just curious in a future Viking novel if not Death of Kings will Uhtred ever get to the Viking siege of Chester ???

After the Fort will you ever write again on the AR? br>
And after reading Sharpes Eagle where its said that he is Simmerson's cousin did you ever have plans for him to ever meet Sharpe as I think he would probably get on more with him than his cowardly cousin. Yours sincerely, Geraint

Submitted June 5, 2011

A

I honestly don't know . . . . I'll only know when I get to that book!

I don't have any plans to write another novel set in the American Revolution (but who knows?).

I don't know whether Sharpe and Simmerson will meet again - but Simmerson is probably hoping not!

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I must ask, was there any great temptation to actually reward Sharpe with a rifle battalion in Sharpe's Regiment? It seems most unfair that in the very next novel he is essentially kicked out of his battalion after saving them.

Tom

Submitted June 5, 2011

A

Well, his life is frequently unfair. He's not complaining.

Q

Hi Bernard i was just wondering when the next Sharpe book will be? And what time period? As there seems to be a bit of a gap between prey and rifles. And a question I've wanted to ask you for years is if all your main characters had a free for all or battle royal who do you think would be the winner? My money is on Sharpe because none of the others have is skill or speed

Matt Nicholls

Submitted June 5, 2011

A

I can't tell you - because I don't know! When I decide to write the next Sharpe (soon, I hope), I'll research lots of alternatives and choose the one that strikes a spark!

No idea!

Q

It sounds as though Death of Kings will not be the final Saxon story. When will Uhtred finally regain his home and land?

Stuart Twitchell

Submitted June 5, 2011

A

If I knew, I'd tell you. I don't plan ahead. His life unreels as I write, but I do know those things will happen!

Q

Dear Bernard, The custom of the 'sarhead' plays an important role in your first Arthurian novel The Winter King. Through my researches I have only found a vague allusion to the White book of Hengest about the laws of Hywel Dda... Did you add anything to this material? Did you name Derfel's tutor Hywel like you did for these very reasons? MZ

Submitted June 5, 2011

A

I certainly did a lot of research on Hywel Dda, but I don't remember using the name as a tribute? Maybe I did. I wrote the books so long ago that I can't remember, but I still occasionally look at Hywel Dda's eminently sensible laws.

Q

Hello, Mr. Cornwell. My name is Patrick Hepditch, I'm 17 years old and live in a small fishing town located in New Brunswick, Canada. Throughout my entire life history has fascinated me, I would purchase almost any history novel I could. One day I was at my local book store called "Coles" and I stumbled upon your novel "Azincourt".I fell in love with novel, I read it in 48 hours, often taking it out in class to read it as my teachers continued with their lesson. That was almost two years ago, since then I've read the Sharpe series and have recently started reading "The Fort". Your writing style is incredible. Your ability to mix fact with fiction in order to create a novel that captures the readers attention is amazing. I am considering reading your Holy Grail line of books next, starting with Harlequin next. Have you ever considered writing on The First World War? I believe that you are just the type of author who could bring the First World War into the spotlight and produce a novel which captures the horrors of the war, much like you did with Azincourt. I know you're a busy man, so if you don't reply to this I will not be too offended. Thank you very much for your time, -Patrick Hepditch

Submitted May 31, 2011

A

Hi Patrick! No, no plans for a WWI book - I prefer to stick to the more ancient past.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, A longtime fan from Queens, New York. I'm doing an article on Myles Keogh, an Irish-American cavalry officer killed with Custer. I'm trying to start by making the point that, unlike today, war was then seen as something glorious and heroic. Nothing like the impersonal carnage of the 20th century. Is that fair to say? With admiration, Patrick McNamara

Submitted May 31, 2011

A

I'd remember what Robert E. Lee said - it's a good thing war is so awful or we'd like it too much - that's a paraphrase because I'm too lazy to look up the actual words. War has always (and still does) fascinated men . . . and there's been a great deal of research into its appeal. In short it's the supreme gamble, and men are risk takers (much more than women, who are far too sensible). So you could come out covered in glory (and still can) or you can come out dead. It's true that for most (but not all) of history there was a glorious visual component - the flags, bands and uniforms - and that imbued war with a glamour we've lost, but as all good soldiers knew, those glorious uniforms would probably end up covered in mud, blood and shit. Yes, young men going to war think they're embarking on the supreme adventure, and they do see success in battle as glorious - but its appeal lies in the knowledge that it can also lead to an early and horrible death. I don't think we've changed . . . and certainly the idea of war as glorious was probably more prevalent in the mid 19th century (Custer was an addict), but it hasn't died. I think it's fair what you say!

Q

I have recently listened to Sharpe's Tiger. It was riveting. I am wondering about the punishment of 2000 lashes. It sounded like a death sentence and I am wondering if that was actually done. A firing squad would be more humane. Also, I am a little skeptical of how well he was after that lashing. Perhaps I missed some of the time line since I was listening rather than reading. Thank you for your consideration.

Mary Good

Submitted May 31, 2011

A

A firing squad would be much more humane . . . . I think such extreme sentences were rare, usually it was in the 100 to 200 range, and eye witnesses spoke of the blood running down to fill the victim's shoes, and the sight of ribs being flayed bare . . . yuk. A surgeon was standing by to stop the punishment if it looked like killing the man, and my sense of it is that the punishment frequently was stopped before it finished. But still - yuk.