Your Questions

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell,

Hope this finds you well and in good health, in these disturbing times!

I just finished reading the first 8 installments of the Saxon Stories in record time, and I have to say this is the most gripping and entertaining historical fiction series I've ever laid hands on. My deepest respect and sincere congratulations on this exceptional work.

I have one question though which does not stop bugging me, and it concerns the fate of Ragnar Ragnarson. When (in The Burning Land) Uhtred left the Danes in Dunholm to ride to the rescue of Aethelflaed, Ragnar was still planning to attack Wessex by ship together with Cnut and Sigurd. However, as Uhtred continues his quest and becomes the sword of the Saxons once more, Ragnar is no longer mentioned, and only Cnut and Sigurd's failed efforts to capture Wessex are briefly discussed. Ragnar is only recurring after his death due to sickness. What was the reason for you to more or less remove him from the tale, without providing any more details on his later years?

Hope this question does not come across as unjustifiably critical, I'm more curious than anything else, what your motivation was.

I cannot wait to continue reading this exceptional series!

All the best, and good luck for 2021!

Reinhard Wagner

Submitted January 18, 2021

A

I think it was simply one sub-plot too many – and having him join Cnut and Sigurd would have forced Uhtred into a different decision.

 

Q

Although separated by a considerable period of time, would the earthen work dyke built by the Mercian King Offa  (Offa’s Dyke) have played any part in the tales of Alfred and Uhtred either as a territorial marker or a military barrier?

Bob Kent

Submitted January 18, 2021

A

I think it certainly served as a territorial marker through the whole Anglo-Saxon period. There’s little doubt that  it was intended to be a defensive work – the ditch is on the Welsh side as an obstacle, but there’s no evidence that the Dyke was manned, or that Mercia had the manpower to garrison the whole length. But as a territorial marker it was useful. Cross the dyke and you’re dead is the message!

Q

(Spoiler Alert)

Hello,

A teacher recommended your first Saxon Chronicle book to me my first year of high school.  You touched off a powder keg of reading historical fiction for me.  While Uhtred is by far my favorite, Derfel and the Arthur series is usually the first I recommend to people.  I think the thing I liked most about Uhtred is that he is unabashedly an Asatruar, one who practices Asatru, a pagan in a changing world.  Being an Asatruar myself I was amazed to read a pro-pagan story, even at times an anti-christian story!  I've read other authors that have done this, but then vilify their character for their beliefs on the last page, even if those beliefs have been conclusively proven false.  I know you've said here before when someone mentioned Asatru that you had not heard that term before, but I was convinced reading these early books that you were a believer.  I think that helped me connect to it more.  Perhaps if we ever do get an Uhtred short story you could mention something very few authors have included when they do Norse paganism?   Only half the warriors who die in battle go to Valhalla, the other half go to Freyja's hall in Folkvangr.  In fact, both Gisela and Stiorra would almost assuredly have gone to that shining field since they both died in battle, and if you know anything about the Norse cosmos, Valhalla and Folkvangr are just across the tree branch. This is mentioned in both Poetic and Prose Eddas, I know it is simply easier to say they just all go to the Spear-Hall so I guess it is just a pet peeve now.

 

Why didn't you include Uhtred's death? I had prepared myself for it, and Finan's, but they never came.  His story almost seems unfinished because of it.  I really expected him to die, possible betrayed to hold up to history, and to have him describe the Valkyrie, of course looking like Gisela, her image rushing back to him in death, leading him on her winged horse to the All-Father. Perhaps it is better in my imagination.

 

As good as these books are I have to say, in my opinion, that the Netflix show is one of the worst adaptions of a book.  It is right up there with how badly they did American Gods.  I know you have said you don't have any say in that venture but you have to get them to drop "Destiny is all" in favor of Wyrd bið ful aræd.  They've changed too much.

 

Thank you for all these wonderful books, I look forward to reading them to my daughter, whose middle name is Stiorra.

Anthony Lombardi

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

Oh nurture your pet peeve!  You’re right to point it out and I agree my depiction of the after-life in Nordic paganism is vastly simplified and I deserve your peeve as a reward.

 

Mainly because he’s telling the story and way back in the earlier books there are lines like ‘I am old now . . .’ which suggest he did not die in battle, so the ending of War Lord stays true to those earlier claims. Besides, I like the man and didn’t want to kill him.

 

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell

First of all, I would like to inform you that I am your ardent fan. Thanks to your creativity, I have an aim to learn English, and I also became a fan of reading books, which is very rare in our time. Getting to know you as a writer, I started with the trilogy "The Saga of King Arthur", and to be honest, after reading it, I was still thinking about this story for about a week.

After reading the trilogy I decided to continue reading about “Inglaland” and bought myself all the books from the Saxon Chronicles.  Today I am reading the book "Wars of the Storm" and, for me personally, this book plays a key role in the history of Uhtred, as I see that Uhtred, with age, has become more of a general, miltary leader, as Iseult had predicted, rather than a warrior.  I want to note that after reading 8 books, I have practically any question or misunderstanding.  But... It was not in vain that I mentioned the trilogy “The Saga at King Arthur”.

As we know, this trilogy and the Saxon Chronicles are united by the presence of such a people as the Anglo-Saxons.  In the trilogy, the Saxons were described as an aggressive nation looking for new territories to live in.  In the chronicles there are no descriptions about Anglo-Saxons, because the history itself is conducted from a representative of this nation.  However, we can notice that this nation has become more peace-loving and believing.

My question is: Can a parallel be drawn between the Saxons from the trilogy and the Anglo-Saxons from the Saxon Chronicles?  If so, what do you think turned the Saxon barbarians into those people who truly believe in God and pray for life in the peace?

I would love to see your answer.

Yours faithfully,

Oleg Buiko

 

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

What turned Saxon barbarians into peace-loving farmers? I fear the answer is Christianity, which is one reason why Uhtred is so opposed to it. There’s also the truism that once the Anglo-Saxons had gained what they wanted – land – their new priority is to keep it, defend it and make it profitable, so they pass from being invaders into being defenders, and one of the tools of defence is the law. So religion and a legal framework became important to them.

 

Q

I just wanted to thank you for ALL the many books you have written...  I was gourd by my pet Jersey Bull a couple of years ago and started reading one of your Sharpe's Rifle books ...  took me a bit of time to get them in order and finish reading them, but well worth it.

After that I read most of your other books and then found the Last Kingdom Series - OMG...  one Great collection of stories...  just finished your War Lord book and I thank you for Uhtred and the way you finished the series without him dying - gives me the chance to let him live on (even though I know there are no more books about him coming from that pen of yours).

I have a local community college that is open to clever 1 credit class ideas - my question to you is:  Have you even put together an outline of English history (from King Alfred to the War of 1812) that you published (or would publish) for use as the framework for such a class or series of classes?

Thanks again for proving once again that the pen is mightier than the sword.

Dan

 

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

I have not, and it would be a daunting project! I’ve written one non-fiction book – Waterloo – and the amount of research was massive and still there are errors in the book. I’m appalled at the thought of covering almost 20 centuries of history! Still, it was kind of you to ask!

 

Q

Dear Bernard.

Paul here from Liverpool UK.

Avid reader if your wonderful work.

Now the final story of Uhtred is ended to all our disappointment and thrills.

Having covered the American Civil war before would you consider an epic in that genre ?

I am originally from Crosby in Liverpool.

The work of one Captain James Dunwoody- Bulloch, Confederate Naval Intelligence Commander and associates is raising new attention in our area. Even the pub he plotted in with his associates away from eavesdropping in Liverpool town, the Liver Hotel in Waterloo a few miles away from town knows most of the story.

The Alabama and the Shenadoah's stories are yet to be told in historical fiction.

Many seamen were lured away from the seamen's ghetto on a promise of a 6 month tour to the Azores yet left their families for years once on the Alabama.

We recently unearthed how the Shenandoah had still been attacking Union shipping off the coast of Alaska months after the war was over, realised their mistake and made a 9000 mile journey back to Liverpool to surrender to the Lord Mayor.

You are the master storyteller

This tale is far superior to the film 'Master and Commander' Bernard. Please consider.

 

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

Consider it under consideration, but no promises. I’ve read a fair amount on the Confederate commerce raiders and knew of their connection to Liverpool – and yes, they’re great stories, so maybe? But really, no promises.

Q

Hello Bernard,

Loved War Lord with its many layers. Without creating any spoilers for those who haven't read it yet, is anything known of how the final battle unfolded or did you create it all from your knowledge of the topography and your imagination?

Chris

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

It’s all imagination, but heavily supplemented by the knowledge of one of the archaeological team who are exploring the newly discovered battlefield and who is also an ex-army man. There are clues about the use of cavalry in the Chronicles, but the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle only depicts it as a massive clash of shield walls and says, direfully ‘never was their greater slaughter in our island’. It’s not much to go on, so the rest is imagination.

Q

How big an audience do you have in Denmark?

Your depiction of the opposing sides viewpoints in the Last Kingdom series (evenhanded, rational, essentially human) i imagine would enthrall those of Viking ancestry as much as it has done myself, a fan of British ancestry. Is that the case?

Raymond Young

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

I’m told the books do well in Scandinavia, so thank you – and Uhtred, of course, likes and admires the Danes more than he should.

 

Q

Hello Bernard,

 

I just finished the final installment of the Saxon Stories on Audible last night, and today I am moved to express my appreciation for Uhtred's remarkable journey. He has been my constant companion through many sleepless nights, and now that the journey is done, I feel like I have lost a dear friend.

 

It is a marvel to me how you wove fiction with historical reality to create an astonishingly seamless story that never felt inauthentic or fanciful, never felt like it went too far. Sometimes Uhtred was at the heart of the historical action, but many times he remained on the periphery, a restraint that felt like a genuine life lived in turbulent times.

 

The final battle for Englaland was masterfully done. I was nearly sick with apprehension for Uhtred and Finan in the thick of it. But the decision to leave Uhtred to narrate Aethelstan's  victory from afar was sublime. Uhtred's time was over. What a poignant realisation.

 

I have read Homer's Iliad countless times - it is my favourite thing in all the world. I just love those vividly detailed battle scenes, unflinching in their grim ugliness, tragic and heroic, but above all else the humanity shines through it. When I first started listening to the Saxon Stories, I was struck by your battle scenes - there are strong Homeric resonances. I have wondered if you were influenced by The Iliad when you wrote those battle scenes?

 

Tonight, I will probably begin again from book one, because I am not yet ready to leave Uhtred's world and I fear I will not find another story quite like Uhtred's conflicted loyalties, amid the broader historical landscape of religious and cultural conflict.

 

So thank you for the many hours of gripping story-telling that kept me so enthralled and immersed in the world of Saxons and Danes that it conquered the everyday demons of anxiety, and made night times something I looked forward to instead of dreaded. My thanks also to the Audible narrators who both brought the world to life.

 

Wishing you and your family all the best,

 

Margaret Dean

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

I can’t say the Iliad was an influence, though I have read it more than once. I always recall the small details like the sound of arrows rattling in their quiver as a man walked. He’d been there and heard that!

Q

Hi Bernard,

 

Just a random question..

 

Am I right thinking that you discovered our original family name was Outhwaite (norse origin) before it was written as Oughtred in the 1700s and we're not from the prominent Ughtred family that people commonly think? I saw a reference to an Outhwaite in your work and thought "Aaah, he knows".

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, I think our common ancestor is Richard Oughtred and Ann Ableson of Guisborough.

 

Luke Outhred

Submitted January 15, 2021

A

According to the family tree I have the Oughtred family is descended from the Uhtreds of Bebbanburg, and I have no record of an Outhwaite in that vast tree – in truth they claim to be descended from Odin too, which I rather like. I have no idea if you’re wrong, but a bride from Guisborough sounds extremely likely as the Uhtred family settled in Yorkshire after they lost Bebbanburg in 1016.