Your Questions

Greetings, Mr. Cornwell! While browsing in my local book store a year or so ago, I was quite fortunate to find Stonehenge. I've since read many of your works, The Arthur Books, The Grail Quest Series and the Saxon Stories. As a newly licensed English teacher, I am quite enjoying becoming acquainted with early and middle British history. Thank you for bringing history alive. When students see me reading one of your books, I tell them that it is NOT appropriate for them--too boring, with historical fact and detail and lots of sex and violence and blood. First, students can't believe that shy, modest Ms. Abdallah reads such works, and second, they want to know your name! Of course, I'm "tricking" them into reading some really awesome literature! Here's my question, and I apologize, because it's sappy: are you related to another well-known author residing in the U.S., one Patricia Cornwell? Just wondering. I look forward to reading future works, and since I own almost every book of yours I've read, you know I'll be re-reading your books again! I know this sounds nerdy, but I like to mix up the authors, but read books in chronological order of the events depicted. I gain a lot of insight seeing the same events from different authors' viewpoints. Sincerely, Your Fan, Katie Abdallah

i Iwas introduced to Sharpe at a young age and that led to my love of war and history, thank you . Anyway lately I've been reading the French Foreign Legion; any chance of Sharpe joining them in Africa?? love your work especially the Saxon stories. Jordan

I wrote a while back asking when Agincourt would be in paper back as i find them infinitely more mobile.A year is far to long to wait so Ive broke tradition and bought the paving slab version. What a most outstanding read.Congratulations and thank you Bernard for another fantastic book and god bless America for not giving out a green card. P.S. Will you at any time be visiting Oxford ? kind regards, Nick Horton.

Sir, I wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed the adventures of Richard Sharpe. I am a re-enactor portraying a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and a Private of the U.S. Infantry on the frontier in 1819. My question is this: you haven written that Sharpe wears the badge of the "Forlorn Hope" on his sleeve. My friends and I have been searching everywhere we can and haven't found a drawing or description of this badge. was it an official British decoration or something the troops came up with on their own? Dwight Peters

Dear sir, another couple of questions about Sharpe. You've already expressed some regret about killing Obadiah Hakeswill, was just wondering were there in any of Sharpe's friends/good guys you would in hindsight have not killed? I was sad when Hogan died, did you do that with Sharpe's revenge in mind? Cos surely Hogan would've represented Sharpe and Sweet William and danced round Wigram...... My other question is who would've won a shoot off between Taylor and Hagman? My money would've been on Hagman but I think it would've been close!
Lee

Hi again, Mr. Cornwell. How long were the biggest of the viking warships, and how many warriors did they hold? Were the oarsmen and the fighters the same, or did they have special people for each role? Alan Kempner

Hello, I have read almost all of your non Sharpe books and they are fantastic, me and a friend both go and buy copies of your books, and the next time we meet we always say 'The Cornwell Has done it again' and then exchange what we thought of the story. However, going back to what I said at the start. I've never read the Sharpe books as being 27 I have grown up with them on TV, loved them so bought them all a few years back. But I can't bring my self to read them as I always feel let down by the TV/Film adaptation ('I am Legend' was the latest example of how upset I was about book conversions). How do you feel about books turned into a TV or Film format? PS - The Saxon stories are the best books ever written. kind regards, Gary

Mr. Cornwell, I just want to say that I have been reading your books since a very young age when my father came back from a trip and brought me Sharpe's Rifles. Now I am in college and I still love reading your books (I'm waiting for Agincourt in the US) You are without a doubt one of the best historical fiction writers of all time. I was just wondering if you are thinking about doing any alternate History books such as Harry Turtledove, because I think that would be a great if you did. Sincerely, Nick Kerkman

Many thanks for Azincourt,can I look forward to Crecy?
Clayton McCann

Dear Bernard I am just writing to offer hearty congratulations on Azincourt. It was an excellent novel that I could not put down. I also hope its not the last we have seen of Nick Hook. But I do wonder since its been a few years if you will ever write another Musket novel and not simply of the Peninsular war which has been very well covered. I wondered if you have ever thought of the Jacobite Wars or of Dettingen the last time an English King led an army in the field? Yours sincerely, Tony