Your Questions

Q

A friend has recommended Azincourt, and I do intend to read it. However noting the number of novels you have written, which historical novel would you recommend I start with?
Neil Turner

Submitted November 7, 2008

A

Why not start with Azincourt? Hope you enjoy it!

Q

Would there ever be a possibility of a Sharpe game being made as I love the books and the TV series and think it would be a great addition to the series. regards, Sam

Submitted November 5, 2008

A

There's been talk of it...but nothing's seem to come of it yet.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, Can you tell me if there is any difference between the UK and US editions- besides cover art and such? Spelling differences I can live with but I've heard tell that some editors will make diction alterations for US editions. I'm particularly interested in the Warlord books. Thanks, Chris

Submitted November 5, 2008

A

No difference, except, as you pointed out, the cover art and the occasional spelling of a word or two.

Q

Hello Mr Cornwell, My husband loves the Sharpe series of books and films and is currently viewing the Sharpe's Peril film Can you please tell me if the book of Sharpe's Peril will be available soon? Thank you...Dot Tessier

Submitted November 5, 2008

A

There is no book for 'Sharpe's Peril'. The story was written for the film by a scriptwriter. Hope your husband will enjoy the film!

Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell! First of all I would like to say that I really really enjoy your books. I've already read the Grail Quest, The Arthur Books and The Saxon Stories (just finished the Sword Song). Because of my work I have to travel a lot to many places in the world and there is no best friend to a traveler than a good book, and I can say that, to me, your books are the best. I really like books based in real historic facts, mainly the ones that have the story going on before the invention of fireweapons. I was looking at the FAQ section and discovered that the book 5 of The Saxon Stories will be released in the end of 2009, but I would like to ask if the series will finish with this book 5 or it will go on? If this will be the last book of the Saxon Stories, are you planning to write any other book (or series) in the same stile of the Saxon Stories or the Arthur Books? Best regards from your Brazilian fan, Eduardo

Submitted November 5, 2008

A

Book 5 will not be the last one - there will be more to Uhtred's story.

Q

Dear Bernard Being an avid fan of yours for some time, I always keep an eye on what questions people have asked, and I have noticed how you regretted killing of Hakeswill, Because you really seemed to enjoy writing his cruelties. I also know how you don't wish to take Sharpe back in time, but if you wanted to have fun writing Hakeswill again you could always take Sharpe back to when they first met. I also wanted to say how in the Arthur Books you left some questions unanswered, I don't really want to know what happened to Arthur or Nimue, because if I do find out it would take away the magic of guessing and fantasizing. I suppose in the same respect I really don't want to know what happened in the dark ages, because I like believe your stories are what happened, since the characters were all so lovable, hateable and real seeming. Also, is the Main Character in Redcoat Sharpe's Father? Kind Regards, never stop writing. Damien

Submitted November 4, 2008

A

No! He is not!

Q

Hi Bernard, Thanks for the excellent talk at Cheltenham last week. Currently reading Azincourt and loving every minute of it. Came across a few websites today while reading up on a few facts concerning Azincourt and thought you might be interested if you haven't came across the story yourself, I would also be interested to hear your views. It concerns a French history conference saying that the whole story of the battle as we know it is total lies, and one historian is quoted as saying: 'It is the result of deliberate myth-making by Shakespeare in his Henry V, perpetuated to this day by authors such as Bernard Cornwell whose best-selling novel Azincourt is a gripping, galloping, gore-filled celebration of the English underdog.' The web address in case you want the whole story is: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/10/27/do2704.xml. Scotland on Sunday is also running the story at: http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk/Academics-challenge-39myth39-of-Agincourt.4630335.jp, as I assume are many other news sites. Andrew Moore

Dear Bernard It was reported in last weekends papers that the French were holding a conference to discuss Agincourt, the main theme being that the English were not as outnumbered as is popularly claimed, that they resorted to underhand tricks to win the day and that their actions could, in retrospect, be described as those of war criminals. You were loosely quoted in the article. Do you subscribe to the French view that the victory was overplayed by the English or is this just a piece of wishful revisionism by the cheese eating surrender monkeys? Regards, Chris Poulton

Submitted November 4, 2008

A

Thanks! There's not a lot to say . . . . we have accounts of the battle that long predate Shakespeare, and they all more or less tell the same story. I'm really not sure what point the French are making (and suspect there's been a good deal of journalistic licence in the reporting). A revisionist view tries to claim that the disparity of numbers was very slight, but the argument is unconvincing. I suppose the main French gripe is over the slaughter of the prisoners, but no one at the time thought this was an act of great evil, but rather a necessary precaution. If the whole story of the battle is a lie (one that was started by eye-witnesses from both sides) then what on earth did happen? I'd love to know!

Q

For how long was the longbow used by the English.It's use seemed to go right through the 100 years war from Crecy to Agincourt and proved to be the trump card but did the crusaders make use of the longbow? I remember reading somewhere that football killed off archery as it stopped people practising. Also is it true an arrow would penetrate three inches of oak? Thanks for bringing history to life. Andy Houghton

Submitted November 4, 2008

A

The longbow had been used for hundreds of years . . . a pair of yew longbows were discovered in a Neolithic grave in Yorkshire, which puts the weapon back to 2000BC. But it was extremely hard to master . . . a man had to be abnormally strong, and had to learn to compensate for the offset angle of the arrow (caused by drawing the string to the ear, rather than the eye). It was only during the Hundred Years War that thousands of men were available to use the weapon - before and after that period only a handful of men (hunters, probably) took the trouble to master the longbow. Why did it happen then? We don't really know . . . . some people say it was a craze, which is as good an explanation as I've found. What is true is that the weapon was only really a battle-winner when used en masse. A pair of longbowmen would doubtless do damage, but two thousand archers were formidable.

Q

Just finished your latest, 'Azincourt', and wish to express my gratitude, not only for this latest read, but for the pleasure your books have provided me over the years. Please keep up the good work! If I were a writer the story of a longbowman was one which I would have been excited to tell. But now you have been through so many brilliant episodes in our small islands history, when are you going to get to WW2? Again many thanks, and all the best for the future. Yours sincerely, Nikolai Lucyk

Submitted November 4, 2008

A

Sorry - no plans for WW2.

Q

Dear Sir, Heard your radio interview on BBC Radio four, very interesting. The American Chap that wrote a book about recovering a white star liner, keeps popping up in his other books as a character, which I think rather odd. With reference to Sir John C in you Latest book, if you get my drift. In your Sharpe's Devil, from memory, Lord Thomas Cochrane took a part. I did read it ages ago (15 years or so). Since then I have read quite a bit about his life. Partick O'Brian based "Lucky Jack" on him. What I cannot understand is why there has been no film or documentary based on his life (That I know). The man was mad/bad/inventor/egoist but at the same time a hero. I think its really sad that more people don't know his tale. Keep up the good work Cheers Barry Mitchell

Submitted November 4, 2008

A

You're so right! His story should be told on film, because it is so extraordinary - the escape from Newgate Jail, the extraordinary fights at sea, the expulsion from the Order of the Bath - it would make great cinema. But don't hold your breath!