Your Questions

Mr. Cornwell, I've read your Arthur Series and have just read through the Lords of the North (will buy the 4th one tomorrow!). You are my favorite author. I wonder, how do you come up with such rich characters such as Uhtred? I'm amazed at how you bring the era to life and how your readers almost feel as if they were in the story. What are you planning on writing next? Wes

I Absolutely love the Saxon stories! They are some of my favorite books, I found The Last Kingdom in a Borders Books & Music by luck, and I re-read at least one Saxon book a month. I have a feeling Uhtred doesn't get Babenanburg back, please don't let Uhtred fail! And Have you considered writing a story about the Jacobite's or Bouidica? I know you mainly do English based stories so if your feeling out of character a story on the native Americans(the whole story should be placed before white settlers appeared on their shores), Philip of Masadon, Attilla the Hun,the Spanish reconcistor or Charlemange would be great! And maybe you should try your hand at making just movie scriptwriting, for a movie not a TV show. James Neal

Mr Cornwell, I have been an avid reader of your books since the age of eleven (I am now seventeen and in my last year of school). Your books, coupled with one fantastically influential teacher who has, alas, passed away have ignited a love for history that I cannot extinguish. I am applying to Cambridge, Kings London, Kent, Birmingham and Edinburgh to do the subject soon and am nervous. Sorry for the hero worshiping but I thought it a must, as I will be eternally grateful to you. The reason for my message was not this though. I am to be creating an independent study for A2 History, and due to Sharpe I have accumulated a large library (for someone my age) of Napoleonic and Military History. My title is to be How influential was Sir Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) in British and Allied success in The Iberian Peninsular and France between 1808 and 1814? Original I know, but it would be a travesty to my prior knowledge of and love for this aspect of world history and the wars (and to my eleven year old self) if I did not investigate it. I was wondering if you could recommend any areas of opposing view, and points of differing importance. Obviously I am considering French reliance on the land, The Royal Navy, The Guerillas and the such, but is there anything interesting published that is somewhat revisionist? Furthermore are there any books or authors that you recommend on the subject? Or even generally to widen my historical mind? I look forward to your reply, but dont feel obliged. Yours truly, Alex Mayhew Cherwell School Oxford, England

I think I have read in the past that you have no interest in writing any novels set during WW II. Do you still feel this way? This is one of my most favorite time periods and would love to see a novel or two based during WW II.
Chuck Grantz

Would or have your written any book/s in the WW2 era? Jean

I have been assembling a collection of your Sharpe's series focusing on the U.S. editions, and have managed to complete it. Not easy! I have even come across some really nice, signed copies. I wonder if you could confirm, or debunk the reason I had heard, or read regarding the scarcity of Sharpe's Sword, and Company. I gather that there were only 500 U.S. copies of each ever printed. That would, indeed, make them scarce! On another vain, in my search, I came across a "bookseller" that is offering copies of Sharpe's Company that they claimed were signed by the author, and were asking $850.00 each. They did have signed "book plates" in them with "The Winter King"'s helmet logo on it. That just struck me as dishonest, and wanted to point out to your fans who are collecting that this is not a signed book. Jack Douglas

Hi Bernard The Last Kingdom was the first one of your books that I read and have read all the following books in that series, I have enjoyed them very much thank you. I'm currently halfway though the Arthur books and also enjoying them. I would like to know if there is going to be other books in The Saxon Stories? If so when will the next one be available? Also I have bought many of the Sharpe books but have not started them yet, is there any order to read them in? Thank you for your time. Regards Glen Norris.

Dear Bernard You have written about some famous generals and their equally famous battles but one name who has largely been left out and who I wondered if you have ever considered, is James Wolfe and the siege of Quebec????

Also after reading Urban's book fusiliers he disagrees with the common view that Cornwallis at Guilford Courthouse had artillery shoot into his own men I wondered what your thoughts were on the subject?? and would Cornwallis campaigns in the south also be a future subject?????

Finally you have got Nick Hook to Agincourt could there be a chance of getting him to Vernuil which was dubbed the Second Agincourt and who some chroniclers who had been at both battles actually considered the tougher of the two fights? Yours sincerely Geraint

P.S If you have not already read them I can recommend Adam Zamayoski's book The Rites of Peace on the congress of Vienna and Mike Jones book on Agincourt.

Bernard, Mr. Cornwell, whatever you prefer! You are without a doubt my favourite author. I recently signed up at the local library here, realising I was spending far too much money on books and I decided to check out your section, despite being fairly confident that I had read everything you had put out. Imagine my surprise when I saw "Wildtrack" on the shelf, written by your good self! I really enjoyed this one and was glad to be reading your work again. This book has also kind of fostered in me a great desire to experience sailing... So a few questions on the subject: How much do you suppose a boat like the Sycorax would cost now? Is this boat in any way based upon one you might have owned or sailed in? When did you first get into sailing? It's something I would love to try my hand at but haven't the first clue of how to go about doing it..

Oh and here's a different one for you... I moved to SE Wisconsin from Chippenham (following an American woman, of course!) when I was 19 and am terribly ashamed to say that at 24, my accent is mostly gone and I sound fairly American, except for on certain words. How is your accent fairing after all of this time?? Rob Baker

As an Afghan War veteran, I would like to tell you that your books helped me through a very stressful and difficult time. I was able to order your books through amazon.com, and I often received them in Kandahar them within a week of placing my order. God bless the internet and the AFB PX! I enjoy the irony of me being to escape the reality of a real war by reading your vivid, exciting and authentic war novels. Now that I've gone on to finish your Sharpe and Starbuck series, and I'm into the Saxon stories, I get the impression that you may enjoy researching your books more than you enjoy writing them. Am I correct? jb nordquist

Dear Bernard, If you could pluck any figure from history and take them to dinner for a flowing, enlightening (possibly argumentative) conversation over good food and some decent wine, who would you pick? Only one now. Paul, Co Cork.