Will you be writing another book for the warlord chronicles? Nicholas Gwynne
I do not plan to add anymore books to the Warlord Chronicles.
Hello Mr. Cornwell, quick question for you... do you know if the audiobook of The Fort will be released around the same time as the book itself like it was done with The Burning Land last year? Either way, I'm looking forward to the new book and can't wait for the new Uhtred next year! Regards, Richard Mock
Yes, I do believe the audio book will be released at the same time.
Dear Mr. Cornwell, I agree with you that Sean Bean is ideal in the character of Richard Sharpe. However before the TV films were made I had a preconceived mind's eye picture of Sharpe derived from the existing book descriptions. I find that Sean Bean's Sharpe, excellent though he is does not quite fit this picture. The Sharpe of the books is 6ft. 1" tall; in long range shots Sean Bean does not appear as tall as I had thought Sharpe would be. My imagined Sharpe had black hair, Sean Bean's hair is fair. Perhaps the most telling difference between the Sharpe of the book and the Sharpe of the film is the accent. The book Sharpe was dragged up in the gutters of London, he probably never left there until he was 15 when he spent a mere 6 months in Yorkshire. His accent and that of his contemporaries must have been "Cockney" or similar. Sean Bean speaks in a broad northern accent. This surely would never have been the case. Sharpe would have no reason to change his ingrained London accent even if he were capable of doing so, which I doubt. However he is your character, you control him and do so brilliantly and I can now ignore my small misgivings. I also find battle descriptions, by all authors, somewhat confusing. I found for example compass directions a little difficult to follow in Sharpe's Skirmish. Although there is a sketch map on the cover of the book an arrow indicating north would have been useful. I am sure I am not alone in finding occasional difficulties in following the progress of battles and relating landmarks to the action. A sketch map with a compass direction and if possible a scale, together with an indication of all the places and objects mentioned in the text would clarify matters considerably. I know you frequently show plans but nevertheless I can sometimes become confused and perhaps a few more details could be added. I am eagerly awaiting your next Sharpe book. With Kindest Regards and Congratulations on your International success, immaculate research and skill as a storyteller. Yours sincerely Basil S. Garratt
We try to make the maps as self-explanatory as possible - but one problem I have is that they're always the very last thing to be put into the finished book and there's rarely time to check them properly (I know, we should try harder). I guess north is straight up on the Skirmish cover? That would make sense!
Dear Mr. Cornwell, my family are fans of your Sharpe stories. While reading your website I saw your biographical note about being refused "a green card". I am a professor of immigration law and would love to know more about the basis for the refusal. My imagination runs wild with happy speculation such as you originally came to the U.S. on a Fullbright scholarship or you protested the Vietnam war. I hope you don't mind my asking. Yours, Professor Lenni Benson, New York Law School
Neither of the above - I just wanted to marry an American blonde (nothing wrong with me). I couldn't apply for whatever visa it is that covers engaged couples (like the blonde had a first mistake), so applied for the plain vanilla green card? A friendly guy at the US Embassy basically told me there was a quota system and I wasn't covered - does that make sense? He actually put it a different way, but this is a family site.
I read all the Sharpe books you wrote before 2000, enjoyed them all, but then fell away from your writings until I read Agincourt the other day. I enjoyed it, but was surprised at how cynical your view of the Church was: Nuns, priests, bishops, all but one are either evil, nasty or simpletons, and all but one has money, not serving God or fellow man, as their goal. Certainly, there have been evil and cynical clerics, but Agincourt must be 9 parts of them to one of decent priests. Chaucer was more balanced, and yet he lived only a few years before. My question is, have you found historical works supporting this cynical balance, or does this just reflect a strong anti-church personal view? Otherwise, I enjoyed the Agincourt story, especially the battle scenes, much as I thoroughly enjoyed your Waterloo battle description.
John O'Sullivan
The church has been both a corrupt and a beneficial institution more or less since the beginning. There are endless accounts of both aspects. The mediaeval church, far far more than today's church, was a place of opportunity for ambitious men - the church could promise wealth, status and enormous privilege for some men, so it's hardly a surprise that it was also a place of venality, nepotism, dishonesty, even downright murder. In fact it was the rottenness of the church, as much as anything, which prompted the reformers. There were a few good men (and women), but any look at the church shows an institution devoted mainly to its own enrichment.
Hi, I must say I've been loving the Saxon books I've read all of them this year and can't wait to see Uhtred and friends in action again! I have a couple of questions, why have you been so unfair to Ethelred? Is it just artistic license or is there something more?
Also, as a resident of Hockley in Essex I wondered if you got the inspiration for Brun the mad bee keeper from anyone you met there? I know a bee keeper who may well fit the description!
Dean Wright
It's a LOT of authorial license - and the fact that Aethelflaed seems not to have liked him much (reading between some very skimpy lines). OK, so I'm prejudiced against him. I like her, though.
No one I can remember! Honest! I haven't met your guy! I think Brun was made up entirely!
I'm enjoying Harlequin which I bought in London recently. I live in Quimper, Brittany. I know Plabennec, Lannion etc. I was wondering if you had corrected for future editions, the idea that the Seine goes anywhere near Rennes ? This serious geographical error was disappointing for me since you have my full confidence as a reader for so much period and military detail. I hope you find a minute to reply. Best wishes from Finistère ! Peter.
Yep, we should definitely try harder - sorry!
Hi Mr. Cornwell. I remember you once commenting that Sharpe's Devil was your least favorite of the Sharpe novels, and that the only reason you wrote it was that you wanted Sharpe to meet Napoleon, and couldn't think of any other way to make that happen. With the advantage of hindsight, would it have been possible to write a short story instead of Devil, where Sharpe meets Napoleon as he is held on board the Bellerophon, prior to being sent to St. Helena? Perhaps such a meeting could have been engineered by Captain Chase? Or would such a scenario be unworkable? Alan Kempner
Well, it would need a lot of bodging carpentry to make it fit. I was happy enough with the scenes on Saint Helena (and when, at last, I visited that island, was delighted to find my description wasn't too far off!). I think I'd better leave Sharpe and the Emperor alone for now, but thanks anyway!
Hi there! Still loving your work after many years! I know you've mentioned that the Arthur series are your favourite books of yours to read but I just wondered which of your characters is your personal favourite? (I realise that may be like asking which of your children you prefer, but they won't be offended!) Which character did you find easiest to write? And which hardest? Finally, many authors say when interviewed that they bring a little of themselves to their characters, and I just wondered which (if any) of your characters you identify with most and which you think is the most similar to you? (Obviously, I'm not expecting you to suddenly reveal a penchant for shooting people and beating up unsavoury characters in dark alleyways!) Many thanks for the years of enjoyment, long may you continue! Richard
We all bring something of ourselves to our characters, but maybe it's what we'd want to be, rather than what we are? I did a lot of research int Hornblower a couple of years ago, and came to the conclusion that he was really C.S. Forester's wannabe character! I don't know if any one of mine is easiest to write . . . and I'm not sure I have a favourite, except to say that it's probably whichever one I'm writing at the time. I do rather like Rider Sandman, though - I'd like to spend more time with him.
Mr. Cornwell I do not know how far one can take your riddle regarding the fatherhood of Richard Sharpe. However a few thoughts. First his name. Richard 'Powerful Leader' Sharpe '..a sharp quick person' (keen,active,quick.) A quote from Wellington ' Being born in a stable does not make one a horse.' Ours (our army) is composed of the scum of the earth. So...... Take you out. Remove any thoughts about what the 'Fan' thinks about the origins of Sharpe. Put me in I believe when you originally thought about Sharpe you thought of him as the 'scum of the earth' of course with two names that potentially set him apart. And a horse appears. Apart from the above reference. 'a hack' refers to 'a horse let out for hire or used for varied work' or 'a writer who works mainly for hire' Finally you say( and I believe) 'This happy person' I do not hold with the connotation that HACK should be a pejorative. I consider you to be the preeminent author of modern 'Ripping Yarns' which is no small feat. Your self and C.S. Forester in the past hundred years have covered the land and sea with the best of adventure prose. Thank You. You are Sharpe's father.
Patrick May
Me, not guilty! But thank you for your wonderful compliments and a very impressive piece of detective work. It deserves another clue - IRONY!