Your Questions

Q

Hi Bernard...I am currently reading "Sword Song" and wonder if you or anyone else has looked into making the Saxon series into a series of big screen epic movies. If a producer approached you on this would you consider it ? Thanks and I look forward to #5 of the series...Lorne in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

The grail series and the Sharpe series are my favorite of your books. The other day I noticed that the were Sharpe tv shows. My question is would you ever consider making three separate movies to the grail series? The detail of your stories captivates me and I believe that movies of the grail series have the potential to be 5 star hits. There is an idea and I hope that you like it. Sincerely Zack

Submitted January 4, 2009

A

Sure, I'd be happy to consider it.

Q

I like your books, but I did notice in the Winter King you made reference to corn being harvested. I'm not sure they had corn in England at this time. It's not a big deal I guess in my old age I am getting to picky. Keep up the good work. Mark

Submitted January 4, 2009

A

The English word 'corn' (remember? you read it in the bible? Jesus wasn't eating maize - - that's a clue!) means grain - any grain; wheat, barley, rye - they're all 'corn'. The English call corn 'maize'. It is confusing, but don't blame the English - it IS their word, and it's a very old word, and it has a very plain meaning in their language, and it's the US that has restricted the meaning to one crop.

Q

I was just wondering when the next book in the "Saxon Series" is due to be published in the UK? They are a great read! Best Regards, Peter

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I am a great fan of your books, in particular Saxon Stories!! I love Vikings and Uhtred of course. I cannot wait therefore with my husband for the next book. Can you please be so kind and let us know when we can expect the next book?! Thank you sincerely in advance. Kamila

please please please,when can a follow up to Sword Song be expected as I have just finished reading it as I pulled into Benfleet station,I will never look at Benfleet creek in quite the same way again,I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have read by you & can't wait to read more. Kind Regards.Kate.

I would like to know if there is already a fifth book of the The Saxon Stories, because i have finished my fourth book and in historical notes disclaime about a continuous history. Best Regards. Mauro Lages

Do you have any plans to continue The Saxon Stories? I have read all four of them and desire more. Thank you!
Douglas

I have just read the `Saxon `series & am quite desperate to find out what happens next ! Is there a follow on to `sword song ` yet. If not, will there be one soon ?

Jane Lenton

Dear Sir, I am a great fan of your Saxon Stories. They have kept me thoroughly entertained, content, and inspired. However unfortunately, I have been longing for a new book in the series! I understand that for certain reasons you cannot divulge such information, but I would like to ask what, if any, information you can release about the next book in the series? In the least, can we expect it any time soon? Best regards, James Taylor

Dear Mr. Cornwell. I just wanted to thank you for the many happy hours of reading that you've provided me with. I stumbled upon your fantastic Saxon series recently, and bought them as a reward to myself after I submitted my MA thesis. I don't believe I've ever been happier. :) Old English and studies into the Anglo Saxon period was always a delight during my undergraduate days, and your wonderful books are a treasure as the world of which you write is so familiar to me. May I ask if you are planning to write more in this series? Thanks once again for this fantastic series. Wishing you and yours a very happy and prosperous new year.

Lucy Lyons

Submitted January 4, 2009

A

I am working on the fifth book of the series now. Hopefully it will be ready for publication in the UK in October 2009 (most likely January 2010 in the US).

Q

Dear Bernard, I have written to you before once or twice (i know i asked whet you thought Sharpe would think of Flashman...can't remember what you wrote back, would love to know!!) but mainly i wanted to know something about the end of Sharpe's Havoc. The battle at the end of the Oporto campaign, where Wellington hedged Soult's rearguard up against the river was known as the battle / clash at Salamonde. I know this was a minor skirmish, but details on the action are very scarce, in fact, your description was better than any others i have read. Where did you get the information from? Do you know if there are any maps of the action at all? Or what the casualties were? Ricky Phillips

Submitted January 4, 2009

A

I'm pretty certain I got most of my information from Charles Oman's seven volume history of the Peninsular War (a reprint is available, or find it in a library). And again I'm pretty certain there's a campaign map in Oman, though I doubt there's a map of the action itself, which was fairly small scale - I can't be sure because I'm away from home and don't have the Omans here. I don't remember casualty figures, but suspect they were fairly small - the real disaster for the French was the loss of all their guns and baggage.

Q

First of all I wanted to let you know I love your writing. I read the Arthur series; I am almost done with The Pale Horseman and plan to finish the rest of the Saxon Stories; and then I am going to start on The Grail Quest series. I was wondering, with the impending US release of Agincourt, are you planning a US book tour? I would love to hear you speak and if possible get a book signed. I did not see anything in you "Diary" about a coming tour. John Graham

Submitted January 4, 2009

A

Sorry John, no plans for a US book tour right now.

Q

I would like to say that as an avid reader who has condemned his poor family to a life of poverty by insisting on working in a local used book store, I have been utterly captivated by your work and can not remember the last time I was so driven to finish a series. I am fairly young, perhaps especially to be married with a child on the way, but this especially seems to be something I have in common with your characters, at least the Dark Ages/ Medieval ones. They all appear to be young and driven but one thing vexes me. In Stonehenge, The Warlord series, the Archer's series and at least the first 200 pages of The Last Kingdom your heroes' seem to be with women to whom they are not or cannot be married to. Stonehenge and The Warlord Chronicles especially you made the women to be strong characters, committed to their men only as much as they were committed to there cause; religion seems the most apt way to describe it. I don't know if it means anything at all, but if you had a moment I would love any insight you may have toward this observation. Otherwise, Cheers! have a fantastic Christmas and I wish you and your family the best in 2009.
Lucas Herndon

Submitted December 28, 2008

A

You mean my characters are adulterous? That doesn't worry me in the least. In truth marriage was a very uncertain sacrament for most of history, reserved mainly for the upper classes, while the poor were more likely to have a common-law marriage (i.e. they lived together). And it started young! Shakespeare's Juliet was 13, which was the average age of marriage in the 13 Colonies at the time of the American Revolution. Not sure if any of this answer is coherent . . . sorry

Q

Hello Mr Cornwell, in Sharpe's Tiger you write about a pub called the Hawle in the pond in Sheffield. Was that,is it, , a real pub where you bent an elbow?

Did you know that Nelson learned to skim his cannon shot off the water so that that impact caused greater damage to a ship? Wondering where he picked up that idea. Hopefully getting Azincourt very soon, regards Nicholas.

Submitted December 28, 2008

A

Its a real pub, but I don't think it exists any more . . . maybe someone knows?

I'm not sure about skimming - certainly British naval practice was to fire at the opposing ship's hull, while the French frequently tried to destroy the masts, sails and rigging to render their enemy helpless. I've never come across the idea that skimming would increase the impact of a shot and would like to have a source? British gunnery had two intentions - one to tear up the innards of the ship, the other was to hole the opponent at his waterline so he begins to sink!

Q

Hello Mr.Cornwell. I have written to you many times before,but this letter is different. I,, like the other times want to thank you,you have done the world a favour by picking up your pencil or turning on your computer or pressing that first letter on the typewriter,whichever it is, thank you. I have just finished reading Azincourt,in my top 5 of books to read,next to the bible,and that is saying a lot. In the grail quest series in both the second and third book I am not ashamed to admit, I did cry,though that is considered,unmanly, I got to know the character very well. Also as a result to the Sharpe series, I have taken Spanish at my school and will continue to for the next 3 years. And also thanks to Sharpe, me and my friends will, in 4 years, go "backpacking" around Europe,mainly Spain,Portugal,and England,but Scotland and France too. Now to quickly finish up(sorry about this),I cannot wait until the next books to be written by you,for I am running out with only 3 more books in total to go, And although you get asked this a lot any plans on coming to Canada? even Toronto or Waterloo Ontario? And any plans on continuing,the Grail quest? I know it is finished but I want to hear more about Thomas(kinda cool how you mentioned him in Azincourt:) And in Vagabond (that is the second book right?) I did notice how Thomas had picked up the bowl and thrown it away,and right there I knew it was the grail,and for the books said it was not that beautiful to look at. or something along those lines. well sorry for taking up so much space and time,and again,thank you so much. Luke

Submitted December 28, 2008

A

Thanks for your message Luke. I don't have any plans for a visit to Canada right now, but perhaps in the future? Keep checking the Diary page....

No plans to add to the Grail Quest series.

Q

Hello, I am currently working on a history project for school. I am doing my project on Stonehenge. I was wondering if you could answer some of my questions about it for me. what was its main purpose? where did the people that built if come from? and what kind of influences where present when Stonehenge was being built/used? thanks, Cass Hazel

Submitted December 28, 2008

A

Can I suggest you read the Historical Note to the novel? That will certainly give you as much of an answer to your first question as it's possible to give. Where did the people come from? From what we now call Britain, though I accept there's a theory that they were the Beaker Folk who might have been more recent immigrants from the European mainland (look them up in Wikipedia). What influences? I suppose fear and superstition. In a pre-technological age then the only way to attempt to control unpredictable nature (floods, disease, storms, death) was by appealing to a god or group of gods.

Q

Kudos for your book Agincourt. As an occasional bow-hunter for deer here in the states, I have noticed I can't hit much of anything beyond 25 yards without a lot of practice. My question concerns English archers at the battle of Agincourt and what their maximum effective range would be against mounted Milanese plate armored knights. Another question would be why would the French slaughter their own crossbow men at "Agincourt" ? My understanding of the battle was that the crossbowmen in the van were making a tactical retreat because their shields used to defend against English arrows were unobtainable. The shields were packed in the luggage of the French trains. Did firearms play any role in the battle of Agincourt at all? Bob Long

Submitted December 28, 2008

A

The French didn't slaughter their crossbowmen at Agincourt - you're probably thinking of Crecy, in 1346, when the advancing French men-at-arms are said to have killed some of their own archers who were retreating from the English arrows. Maximum effective range? Probably there's none, because the finest Milanese armour could certainly resist a longbow arrow by the time of Agincourt, though a lucky plumb-hit at under fifty yards might have pierced the plate (depending on how well the arrow head had been forged). There were no crosbowmen in the van at Agincourt; the French crossbows played almost no part in the battle because they were masked by their own men-at-arms, but the French did have some artillery, and one gun-shot killed a Lancashire archer - a taste of things to come!