Your Questions

Hello Bernard I've been reading your books for quite a few years and they served as a great source of entertainment to help alleviate the boredom of revision during my University years. I'd like to ask a few questions though. I apologise if they've been asked before. Which of your books are you personally most proud of?

Which of your books would you change if you could, there must be at least one book out there that you cringe slightly when recalling some passage or other. I've always found that I am my own greatest critic and would find it very hard to read something that I had written years later, so I wonder how you find such an experience. Finally, I've just finished reading for the first time the Starbuck Chronicles books up to The Bloody Ground and although it may simply be the novelty of them being the freshest of your novels in my mind I am utterly convinced that they are my favourite books of yours and have kindled in me a deep interest in the American Civil War. I feel you tend to write your characters so they fight for the side that you feel more attached to, or at least are more interested in. I also have an inkling that you have a soft spot for the Confederate States of America, I may of course be wrong and probably am! Anyway, thanks for writing the books that have given me so much enjoyment. Joe - England

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I am a German reader and read 'Azincourt' latest. You have mentioned the quarrel whether longbows can hit high quality mail. John M. Coles: Experimental archaeology. Acad. Press, London 1979 offers a chapter on that with tests done over 100 years ago that showed impressively that longbow arrows can hit mail even at greater distance. I have enjoyed your book very much and am looking forward to read 'Burning Land'. Best regards Peter Ansorge

I am so interested in your research for all your books, but especially the Sharpe series. I wonder do you ever check out the verbal battles on YouTube over tactics? I'm thinking about the postings that go along with the Battle of Waterloo video. The link to the first down load is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHgpq3YMY04. I know that topic is long ago in your writing career, but I wonder if you ever revisit earlier research? Or, after you have written about a topic are you so thoroughly sated with it that you have no desire to rehash it? I was reading some of the rather heated posts generated by that documentary, and began to wonder what you might think of all that "hooha." Mine is not a deep question that deserves your immediate attention, I was just wondering.
Jean Bryant

Hello Sir, I have read your novels ever since I was a young lad of 15 years old (now I'm 36). Have you ever considered talking to your publishers and seeing if some of your earlier books can be republished in hardcover. Perhaps as a omnibus. Both Alexander Kent and Tom Clancy have used this format. Perhaps a Sharpe omnibus or a general omnibus with a novel from each of the Sharpe, Starbuck and Saxon stories, etc.

I believe you have mentioned of doing another story with the backdrop of the American Revolution (enjoyed Redcoat)? Any plans for this book soon?

Have you ever considered writing about the League of Augsburg and Spanish Succession period? Cheers, Edward Whelan, Canada.

Dear Mr. Cornwell. I only just discovered, that a new book about Uhtred of Bebbenburg is on it`s way. I look forward to read it, as it is a fascinating story in every aspect, about my own ancestors the Danes. Such a long time has passed since "Swordsong" that I thought you had given in on writing, which would indeed be a great loss. I went through Azincourt in less than a week. To something completely different: Some time ago I attended a series of lectures about rewriting of history. It might sound trivial to you, but it was actually rather exciting. Questions like, if Gabriel Princip had missed the Austrian crown prince in Sarajevo, If Lee had not lost an important order at Antietam and so on. It actually touches some interesting aspects, for instance, had Varus won at Teutoburgerwald in 9, Denmark might be Catholic today and fanatic supporters of the EU. Not to mention if Bonnie Prince Charlie had overruled his own council and pressed south of Derby in December 1745, The Stuarts might be on the throne of England today? Please answer me soon best regards Preben

Mr. Cornwell, I have seen many references to a scene in one of your books where Sharpe saved Wellington from enemy soldiers. I have not read that story. Can you tell me which book that story is in? I have loved to read the stories of Sharpe's adventures and those regarding early English history.

David Nelson

Hello from Poland, Will Azincourt be translated into Polish? Has any publisher bought copyrights for Polish market?

Marek

I am in the middle of listening to your book, Agincourt, in audiobook form. It is wonderful! I have a question. Is the character of Sir John Cornwell an ancestor of yours?
Ron Abramson

Mr. Cornwell, While I am living in Belgium I have had the wonderful opportunity to read many of your books, namely the Warlord Trilogy, the stories of Uhtred, and currently The Grail Quest. While reading in the Grail quest, book 2 "Vagabond", the narrator has your main character, Thomas of Hookton, remember hearing stories of an English archer from 200 years previous, named Robin Hood, or Hude, as you state in the book. It got me wondering how you would tell the story of Robin Hood. I no longer want the Hollywood version with Errol Flynn, and definitely not Kevin Costner (Shouldn't Robin Hood have at least a British accent?), that glamorise everything and make everything into a romantic love-fest. I do appreciate that your novels skip most of that and stick to the real, or real as possible, facts of battle and every day life. I would be interested to read your story of Robin Hood. Sincerely, Leland Dixon, a fan

I heard you were coming to Brazil in September and speak at Rio's Book Biennial (Bienal do Livro). Is it true? If so, when exactly? Can I bring my edition of "The Enemy of God" for you to sign? Thank you for all the wonderful stories you told me - I hope you keep telling me more. Yours sincerely, Vitor.