Your Questions

Q

Mr. Cornwell, It seems that you, like your viking friend Uhtred, rarely make the long journey to the great white north of Canada! Perhaps some day I'll be able to enjoy one of your speaking engagements. I have a question for you regarding writing. I am a professor to several undergraduate classes, and my greatest challenge is developing a passion for writing in young people. I was wondering if you have any tips for encouraging greater success in this area? Academic papers on criminology may be a far cry from historic fiction, but I believe that if one can become excited about a topic, regardless of medium, then they can produce better and more effective work. Thanks in advance, James

Submitted March 25, 2011

A

I surely agree with the idea that becoming excited about a topic produces better work, but my guess is that for many people it's a chore and not a pleasure, and there's always the suspicion that no-one, except perhaps the professor, will ever read the work. That's kind of dispiriting, like acting to an empty theatre. So is there a way of widening the audience? The web? That's my immediate thought, though I suppose it might also help if the writers see themselves improving as they write? In all writing, Robert Louis Stevenson said, 'there is only one way to be clever, and that is to be exact.' If only the writers of instructions would remember that! Roger Ascham, way back in the 17th Century, said that the way to write well was to 'speak as the common people do (and) to think as wise men do'. I'm not sure I've been really helpful, but I meant well!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell: I'm currently reading the Sharpe series of books, more precisely I'm in the middle of "Sharpe's Gold", Chapter 19. As you know, this chapter begins with Sharpe in bed with Teresa Merino where she asks him about the scars on his back. Sharpe makes mention of Morris and Hakeswill as the ones being responsible for the flogging scars. Teresa asks if he killed them yet, and he says no, but he will. I was under the impression that Sergeant Hakeswill died at the Battle of Gawilghur when Sharpe forced him into the snake pit at the fortress. Is this not correct? Did Sgt. Hakeswill somehow miraculously survived this? I would be most obliged if you could explain this to me because it is quite puzzling, and somewhat distracting, because I'm thinking this character is already dead. Please keep up the good work, and I really enjoy reading your books! Sincerely, John Paul Mays

Submitted March 25, 2011

A

The snakes wouldn't touch him! He survived. He couldn't be killed (says so in the scriptures). If you were a snake, would you bite him?

Q

as a proud dorestshire man i was wondering if you thought of tyneham when you wrote the grail quest novels?

william earls-davis

Submitted March 25, 2011

A

Not specifically, though I know Tyneham and had a wonderful summer's day there a couple of years ago - for anyone unfamiliar with the place, it's a village that was taken over by the army for training purposes during the Second World War and has never been returned to its inhabitants, but because the land around (what's left of) the village has not been cultivated since the 1940's it's a haven for all kinds of wild flowers. I suspect Hookton is very loosely based on a place more like Lulworth . . but you can take your choice!

Q

Mr. Cornwell, please let me say that no one was more surprised than I in finding how much I truly enjoy your writing! Being a 54-year-old female, I never thought I would be interested in books where the art of war is at the forefront. Well, I did spend 3 years in the US Army, but I'm not enamored with it. I first read Agincourt which I found at the library, I had been deep in Ancestry.com and found some ancestors who fought that battle so I thought it might be interesting. After reading that first book for free, I decided I needed to collect the books so I can have them at my disposal for re-reading. Wouldn't you know, I began at the end with The Saxon Tales and read The Burning Land first. I love this series and wish to know when the next one will come out? Is it in progress or have you wandered off to other pastures? I believe we probably share some ancient ancestors and I, too, have an ancestor named Uchtred from Northumbria(as he appears in the Ancestry.com records) as well as several lines back to Alfred the Great. Blame my Scot-Irish lines--they seem to have come from all parts of Europe. Interesting thing, to me anyway, is I looked at your Sharpe series and have not read any as of yet, since I am not really interested in that time period, but 3 of my 4 great-grandmothers were all named Sharp. Yes, I am an in-bred American who is related to the entire world it would seem. Anyway, I look forward to reading the further adventures of Uhtred of Bebbenburg and want you to know I love how you tell a story. Thank you, Donna

Is there to be another book in the Saxon Stories series? When might it be published?

Mike Redhead

Mr Cornwell. Thank you for the great writing and stories. Could you please tell me whether there will be another instalment of the Saxon Stories and more adventures for Uhtred. All your other books are great and I've just read the Arthur Stories again for the 5th or 6th time. Thank you. Drew Caulfield

When can we expect the next saxon tale? I love Uhtred and can't wait for the next Adventure! Keep up the great work! Clay Seydler

Hi, Mr. Cornell I want know...Where are my friend Uhtred and your adventures? Any ideas to next months? thanks

Alex

Hello, I'm a 15 year old girl and a massive fan of the story of Uhtred. I have read the series countless amounts of times and would like to know whether you are going to continue the books soon? I love the way Uhtred deals with conflict and love his reasoning. I can't wait till he storms the walls of Bebbanburg and slays his treacherous Uncle. Have you any recommendations? (I've read Thomas of Hookton which was class) best wishes, Sammy a lover of Uhtred and Thor

Please can you tell me when we can expect the next in the series about Uhtred of Bebbanburgh. I love these books and would love to find out what happens next. I really hope it will be very soon. Best wishes.

Lynne Haldar

Hello, i don't expect a prompt reply to this e-mail because you must be so busy but i just have to ask having read The Saxon Series for the second time..... when is the next book due to come out? I am totally captivated by these books and find my self desperate to dissolve myself back into the next episode. I grew up in the North East and had frequent trips to Bamburgh castle as a child and still go there when i can to wander the beach and feel the space. In fact my father who is the artist Fenwick Lawson nearly bought the castle with a bunch of other North East artists when i was a child. The idea was to make some sort of 'artists haven' where they could all work, drawing inspiration from their roots...or some such idea. Even though the idea fell through, my imagination has continued to place me there as a small boy.... looking out to sea and being blown by the sea breeze. He has a beautiful bronze of St Cuthbert on Lindisfarne in the old priory now. If you find your self in that part of the world, take a look..... its magnificent! He also is an avid fan of the books.. so when you get a moment, let me know so i can relax and pace myself. With much appreciation of your wonderful writing, Greg Lawson

Submitted March 25, 2011

A

I am working on the next book of Uhtred's tale now; hopefully we'll see it published in October.

Q

Hello Sir, I completely enjoy your work and have read from several of your series and novels. Having recently read The Fort and only last month entering into Sharpe's world, I have a question about light infantry and their green jackets. I can't remember if it was part of The Fort's historical note, but did you find that the "rifle green" jackets of the light infantry are attributed to Sir John Moore and additionally to him picking this up by seeing the Continental Marines? I enjoy the multiple references to such a simple thing. Thank you (for your work, not just if you answer this question)

Mike Padilla

Submitted March 24, 2011

A

I do suggest (without much conviction) that Sir John Moore might have been influenced by the colour of the Marine coats, but I also say that would be a pleasing idea and I doubt that it's true. The origin of the green coats is much more likely the Ranger battalions.

Q

Mr. Cornwell: "The Archer" was the first novel of yours that I read. I enjoy all of your books, but I feel that the Sharpe books, though good, are overrated compared to your other series. Someone on the LibraryThing website, who was trying to decide whether to read one of your novels, asked me about your "anti-Christian" bias. I replied that I didn't think you had such a bias. Several other people on that same thread agreed with me. Your thoughts?

Charles

Submitted March 24, 2011

A

I think I would say that I keep a neutral attitude towards Christianity, which means that for every wonderful saintly Christian there's probably at least one real utter bastard, but Christians who read my books only ever notice the bastards and never give me credit for the saints. That's okay. Christians are supposed to be tolerant, so I persevere.

Q

Sharpe's father, 8 letters, irony.... Sean Bean?

Howard Train

Submitted March 24, 2011

A

Dear me, no.

Q

Hi Bernard, I love your books. I've been writing essays on mental illness and it made me think of a few things you deal with in the warlord chronicles and Azincourt. I was wondering where you got the idea for certain disabilities/horrible events giving people special powers or a second sight(eg Nimue and rape, Morgan and burns) and whether it was an idea that was common at the time, or whether you just made it up. Obviously suffering has been an important element of Christianity over the centuries but that seems to have had more to do with ideas of humility and emulating Christ than gaining secret knowledge. Also, in Azincourt, the main character hears the voices of saints, and i was wondering whether you envisioned this within the context of your story as being a direct message from god, the voice of his conscience, or a symptom of mental illness misconstrued as one of the first two? It seemed to serve him well in any case. Also if he was hearing voices of saints wouldn't the church at the time have condemned him as being a heretic? How did they decide what was "really" the word of god? Apologies if this doesn't make much sense! Thank you for taking the time to read this, Sophie

Submitted March 24, 2011

A

Well that last is a very good question! They did, in the end, burn Jeanne d'Arc as a heretic, but for a long time the church accepted her voices as a direct revelation of the divine. I'm not sure I have an opinion on Nimue and Morgan, or any of the other 'magical' elements of the Arthurian novels. I didn't want those books to include any sorcery, but it crept in regardless and I let it lie without too much exploration on my part (it kind of goes with that territory). Now as for Nick, I suspect he was hearing his own conscience, but I deliberately do not say that, because he believes he's hearing a saint, and there were plenty of instances where folk did hear or see, or believed they heard or saw, saints, angels or other divine figures. I certainly don't think that's evidence of mental illness (though of course it would be if taken to extremes), but rather as a direct consequence of intense belief during an age of faith, when there really is no easy alternative to faith (as there is now). Those people believed. I might think their beliefs were risible, but I live in an age when there are scientific and technical answers to many of the great questions, and they did not have that advantage, and they lived in an environment which encouraged them to seek spiritual signs. This was a church that could translate a three day old boy into a saint and even, in Flanders, a dog. The church, of course, kept a tight rein on such manifestations and anyone who declared visions, or claimed to have a direct-dial line to heaven, had better be strictly orthodox or else they were going to be burned, and in the end, of course, the church had the power to declare what was orthodox and what was heretical. Jeanne d'Arc, when she failed, was very quickly moved from one category to the other.

Q

Hi Mr. Cornwell. I am intrigued by your desire to write on the Elizabethan era, an era that has been neglected as far as military history novels are concerned. If you had to guess, would you see it as a single-shot novel or an extended series? Alan Kempner

Submitted March 24, 2011

A

If it ever happens it would be a series - but it's a BIG if.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, hope you are well, I was wondering about the Sharpe Books, as I think you mentioned previously you don't intend to go back in time in respect of the series, does this mean you will not be filling in the gap between Waterloo and Sharpe's Devil? If not, perhaps Sharpe could turn up in 1816 as part of the bombardment of Algiers? If it is still indeed yes, perhaps Sharpe could end up back in South America with Bolivar as some form of consultant? Just a thought :)

Joshua Selig

Submitted March 22, 2011

A

I suspect all future Sharpe books will concentrate on his battles against the French - that's what he's best at!