I just read your riddle regarding Sharpe's Father. I think it's Major Hogan of the Engineers. Am I right?
Thom Curry
Nope, sorry
Hi Mr. Cornwell. Was Sharpe's father a soldier? Alan Kempner
Not that I know of....
I don't know if you attend any renaissance festivals, but if you could dress up as anything what would it be? I do realize it's a nerdy question but I'm a history nerd. By the way, can't wait for the next Saxon book! Thank you.
Jeremy
I don't dress up. Honestly. No way.
Great fan of your books but do you feel thoroughly ashamed of yourself endorsing Ian Gale's 'Rules of War' ?
Paul Scott
No!
Just finished The Fort. I found one of the most engaging characters to be James Fletcher, and particularly his interaction with Wadsworth, but there was no mention of him in the historical note. Surely the present day inhabitants would count him as a hero? Was Fletcher entirely fictional? If not, what became of him after the debacle? Thanks for your time! OG Sexton
There was a note in the front of the book which explained that any character whose surname began with F was fictional - sorry if you missed that. I suspect my fictional Fletcher would have stayed with Wadsworth and survived the war!
Did you write a book that took place in Herculaneum during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius? Thank you. Tom
Not me!
I was just reading about the riddle you set to find out the identity of Sharpe's father and I just wondered if it was the French character Dulong from Sharpe's Havoc? Thanks, JC Kreiselmeier
Nope, but good try.
Hi again, Mr. Cornwell. Would the mace and chain, or morning star have been in use in Uhtred's time? How about the war hammer? Alan Kempner
The hammer, yes . . . the mace? I've never come across it. Most of the time it's sword, spear and axe.
Dear Bernard Loved the Fort thought it excellent.Wondered if you were tempted to write about McLean again he played a huge role in the 1775 siege of Quebec where he went up against Benedict Arnold and Dan Morgan are you tempted??? Yours sincerely Geraint
P.S Others have mentioned about Starbuck being on the losing side as opposed to Sharpe but Wellington did suffer his one and only defeat at Burgos and in Sharpe's Enemy Sharpe does (rather bitterly it seems) recall the siege so I wondered if you'll have Sharpe on the losing side for a change?
I'm not really tempted . . . . too many other books I need to write - though certainly the story of that rebel expedition is a magnificent tale of forlorn bravery . . . . maybe I will be tempted if I think about it.
I really don't know where the next Sharpe books will be set - but Burgos is a distinct possibility
Dear Professor Cornwell, I'm a big fan of yours (standard e-mail beginning, I hope). I get more and more fascinated after each book of your I read. I'm now literally sunk in the Sharpe Novels, stuck in Trafalgar due to my lack in Ships knowledge. If you excuse me, I'll keep calling you professor, for I think your work belongs both to literature an history worlds. And that's why I entered in contact. I'm a history student in Juiz de Fora University, Brazil and I intend on doing some work regarding the values of historical novels to the worldwide historiography. Once a famous brazilian historian named Capistrano de Abreu wrote "The fiction writer creates, the true historian do not create but rewrite the history". Maybe you rewrite or even belong to a third category that Capistrano have not identified, the History Novelist, which gives history new colors to original drawings. If you have the time, I would like to know your judgement on that. Best Regards, Tiago Duque P.S.: Sorry for bad English
Historical novelists should be story-tellers first, and though we ought to be true to history we are also free to change it when changes are necessary to make the story work. Historians (real historians) don't have that duty or freedom. I think the job of an historical novelist is to attract people to history - the lure being a good story, the reward being a fascination with history itself. So I don't think we need add a third category . . . the fiction writer does create, and the historian records! There's some cross-over, I think. The best historical novels do record some very accurate history, while the best narrative historians can tell a fascinating story, but broadly de Abreu is right!