Your Questions

Mr Cornwell, First off, I would like to express just how much I have enjoyed your books. The characters you create, the plot-lines you devise and the skill with words you display deserve nothing less than the highest praise and recognition. The fact that every book, despite spanning different periods of history, is so masterfully constructed and so unique is incredible. Truly an author without parallel. I come to you with a request, though. I am a student of mediaeval history about to enter my final year at the University of St Andrews and, as such, am beginning to research for my dissertation. There seems to exist a popular image of the Vikings as almost an unstoppable, unconquerable military force. Their popular reputation, so to speak, is one of martial prowess. What my dissertation aims to explore is the actual nature of the Viking military, how it compares to other societies of the time (Anglo-Saxon, Carolingian etc), how it was similar and, more importantly, how it differed in order to judge whether they were truly better/different during both the first and the second Viking Age (as you have pointed out - the Vikings did get beaten!), as well as maybe looking at where from and why the Vikings have this reputation. I have read Richard Abels' 'Lordship and Military Obligation' and am reading Halsall's 'Warfare and Society' as a general introduction to warfare of the period, but I was wondering if you could recommend any useful works that dealt with Viking/Carolingian/Anglo-Saxon warfare of the period? Many thanks. Respectfully yours, Al.

I just wondered how you came upon the king's alias in Azincourt. Did it have any historical significance or did you choose to name him after a poorly paid wine merchant from London. Best regards. Jon

Do you have a facebook fan page???
Akmal AHMAD

Did you name Richard Sharpe after the Sharps Rifle?

Conlan Murphy

Hi Bernard...I am a great fan of historical fiction and just found your books today. Where have I been? Where would you suggest I start reading and then which series should follow? Thanks for your time....Sally

Hello, I would just like to ask you if your character Nate Starbuck is of any relation to Mr. Starbuck from Moby Dick? I was just wondering about it. And your books are the greatest in existence, says so in the scriptures.
Christian Moorman

Cornwell Hello, I am Brazilian and admirer of his work, I've read all his books except the Sharpe, I just read the five books of the series of Uhtred and was wondering if the next book is near the launch and how many books the series will if you already know. I consider him a brilliant writer and I found your excellent version for the stories of "King" Arthur and I wonder also if you have no interest in creating a book or series telling a version of the story of Robin Hood. Congratulations for excellent work.
Thiago Senra Ferreira da Silva

Dear sir, It is with the greatest interest I have read your first book about King Alfred the Great, The Last kingdom, so I hurried to purchase the other four in the series. One thing puzzled me though, namely the fact that you wrote the Anglo Saxons and the Danes (Vikings) needed interpreters (like Uhtred) to understand each other. The two groups of invaders came from the same regions, so they should be able to understand each other. I know that a period of about 400 years passed between the Anglo Saxon and Viking invasions of Britain, but languages didn't change that much in those days, did they? Actually, the three Scandinavian languages, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish have had some 1.500 years to separate, and yet I don’t find it that difficult to understand Swedish and hardly any problems with Norwegian. I may of course be wrong, I haven't done research as you have, but still, the quotations from the internet below, do sort of support my point Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea from what is the present day Denmark and northern Germany. The Evolution of English George Boeree The language we now call English is actually a blend of many languages. Even the original Anglo-Saxon was already a blend of the dialects of west Germanic tribes living along the North Sea coast: The Saxons in Germany and eastern Holland, the Jutes, possibly from northern Denmark (the area now called Jutland), and the Angles, probably living along the coast and on islands between Denmark and Holland. It is also likely that the invaders included Frisians from northern Holland and northern Franks from southern Holland (whose relatives gave their name to France).The dialects were close enough for each to understand the other. Later, in the 800s, the Northmen (Vikings) came to England, mostly from Denmark, and settled in with the Anglo-Saxons from Yorkshire to Norfolk, an area that became known as the Danelaw. Others from Norway ruled over the people in the northwest, from Strathclyde to the north of Wales. The Norse language they spoke resembled Anglo-Saxon in many ways, but was different enough for two things to happen: One, there were many Old Norse words that entered into English, including even such basic ones as they and them; And two, the complex conjugations and declensions began to wither away as people disagreed about which to use! I’m really looking forward to reading the next four books. With my best regards, Knud Eriksen

Dear Mr Cornwell, Ok I probably have a Norman surname, but I feel Saxon. Anyway there were no surnames before the Normans arrived, so my diffidence is probably only imaginary! I have read all your books. You make history real and tangible, one can feel they were in a shield wall. Do you think you will go on to describe those fateful days around 12, 13 and 14 October 1066? Will you be able to put into print the pleadings of Gyrth and Leofwine to their brother Harold not to commit all to one battle? That would be marvellous. Yours sincerely Andrew

Dear Mr Cornwell, I suppose it's normal that after entering this web site for the first time and writing to you about Hastings, I then search and I see in an answer to a previous question that is is not high on your priority. That's a pity. Why, if may humbly ask you? Do you think that so much has been written about the battle that there is little left to add? I hope not because the battle was fought and lost well before and only you can bring this into its true perspective. It's like a football match, the game lasts 90 minutes but the interest generated starts well beforehand and is usually more interesting than the 90 minutes! Anyway, there is something about Senlac Hill which I cannot fathom. A) We lost, but we really won, both as a language and a people. B) Why has Hollywood never done it justice? Like Agincourt, the Armada, Waterloo, Rorke's Drift etc.etc. Because we lost? If you can shed any light on this I will be very grateful. Kind regards Andrew Guy

Dear Mr Cornwell, I thought I might ask if you have had a chance to catch Professor Robert Bartlett's series on BBC 2 "The Normans"? I am no an expert on these matters but what fascinates is that England was, by 1066, a defined functioning nation and William, with, perhaps 10,000 men, imposed Norman rule on the nation that Alfred created. If you have not I would recommend. Yours sincerely, James D