Your Questions

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I am a 10th grade student in Pennsylvania and I have enjoyed your Warlord Chronicles and am currently reading them again along with the Grail Quest series. But I write this email due to the fact that I love stories and history and you have a knack for combining the two. So my simple question, is it hard for you to do and how do you do it? I am currently entertaining thoughts of becoming a historian or history professor. I thank you for any advice you are willing to give and I won't sue you :) Sean Berryman

Submitted February 13, 2008

A

Is it hard to do? Well, I guess that depends who you are! And how do I do it? I don't know. There, that's really helpful! The history part is easy enough . . . either you love it or you don't, and I grew up with a love of history, and still love it, and read very little else. If you love it, then you'll spend time reading history and, probably, major in it at college. So that bit's easy! As for the story-telling? I really do not know. Some people can tell stories and others cannot, and I am not sure that story-telling (unlike history) can be taught. There is advice . . . try very hard not to be boring is good advice, but even so I still do not think that there is a set of skills that people can acquire . . either you're born a story-teller or you're not. That's what I think! Perhaps I'm wrong! But if you do want to combine story-telling and history, remember that the main story of a novel is probably a story you make up . . . and the big real-history story is pushed into the background . . . I'm a story-teller before I'm an historian. I'm not sure any of this is helpful, but for the moment immerse yourself in history and read lots of stories . . . that's the best training possible for a writer!

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell >From an early age I was fascinated by the Arthur Legends and found your interpretation one of the most original of all. A question I would like to ask you is what is your opinion on the King Arthur Movies ( the one that starred Clive Owen ) as a roman cavalry officer with his Selmation Knights )? As well as a more recent one called the Last Legion which toys with the idea of Excalibur being the sword of Julius Caesar carried to Britain by the last surviving descendant of Caesar at the time of the fall of the Roman Empire?

One final comment: as a Christian and student of Cristian Theology I want to commend you for your accurate account of Christianity of the dark ages in the Warlord Chronicles. I found myself at times wanting to urge Derfel to strangle Sansum as I realize that not only did his kind of Christianity was more a tool to gain power and is one on the reasons that Christianity is sometimes confused as a religion of fear and guilt rather than of grace and love I am interested in your opinion on this matter and what prompted you to the use of the theme of Christianity in the Warlord Chronicles ? Regards Petrus Otto Stellenbosch South- Africa

Submitted February 13, 2008

A

I have to confess I didn't see it. The very idea that Arthur was a Sarmatian was so ridiculous that I decided my brain didn't need to take in more rubbish. It's not impossible, of course, just as it's not impossible that little green men from Mars built Stonehenge. . . . . .

Because Christianity was a powerful force in dark-ages Britain . . . and there's a certain amount of tentative evidence that the early church in Britain disliked Arthur (he's a villain in most of the early Welsh saints' lives). And the period after the Roman withdrawal was a period in which there was no settled religion in Britain; there was (probably) a vestige of the old Druidical faith, though that would have been very weak, and there were the various religions that the Romans introduced to Britain, the chief of which was Christianity, but it was by no means the only one. It was certainly gaining an ascendancy. When religions begin they tend to be meek and mild, but as they get more powerful they start killing people of other faiths . . . and the church was just reaching that state of power. So I included it because it seemed an accurate reflection of 5th and 6th century Britain!

Q

Hi, I am a big fan of your Saxon stories, I have bought and read all 4 several times. I absolutely love the character Uhtred and find him hilarious. I was just wondering as I can not wait for the fifth book, when you believe it will be out in the U.K.? I was also wondering how many books you will be writing about Uhtred and if you will continue as you have hinted to write the tale of Uhtred past the death of King Alfred the Great? I would really love to hear back from you as I find your books great. Thank-you. Remy Malvy

Submitted February 13, 2008

A

There will be several more, and yes, it will go long beyond Alfred's death, through the reign of his son and the life of his daughter and into the reign of his grandson.
I have not started the fifth book so can't say for sure when it will be available - most likely not until 2009.

Q

Mr. Cornwell, First I love your Sharpe, Arthur, and Saxon books. I've been getting the Saxon series on audio download from Audible.com. Unfortunately, I cannot find an unabridged version of "Sword Song" at Audible, Audiobookstand, Amazon, or Harpers. Do you plan to release an unabridged version (or do I need to break down and buy the book)? Many Thanks!!! Ron Rolph

I have loved your Saxon books, particularly the unabridged audio versions read by Tom Sellwood. Will "Sword Song" be available in an unabridged version soon? I am disappointed that only the abridged version is available now. Diane Richards

Hello I was just wondering where/when you are going to have Sword Song, unabridged on cd available. I always listen to your books on cd because of my work and waiting for this one is killing me. I hate to get the abridged versions and ruin the whole story. I'm more than willing to buy the book but I just can't find where. I'd be especially happy if itunes would have it but I'll get it anywhere possible. I'm a huge fan of all your books I listen to them 3x over and can't wait for more.

Chad

Submitted February 8, 2008

A

Sorry, we haven't seen an unabridged version yet.

Q

Thank you for making the 'Dark Ages' come to light. As a teacher I can wholeheartedly recommend the Arthur and Uhtred books to my pupils for a sense of place and period. The books have kept me hooked; any chance of some films as well? Richard Kerridge

Submitted February 3, 2008

A

I guess there's always a chance...but no plans for it at the moment.

Q

You mention in the Saxon Stories that Uhtred is a fictional character but based on a "paternal relative." Could you explain how you discovered this relationship? Also, when you speak of the historical "chronicles," are you talking just of the Saxon Chronicles, or are there others? If so, can you name a few? Thanks, Ed Olson

Submitted February 3, 2008

A

I found out about my family history when I found my family, which only happened five years ago, and it turned out that one member is a keen genealogist and had drawn up a family tree going back to Ida the Flamebearer - and before him to Woden.

Do I speak of them? I guess it depends on the context. It's a fairly loose term . . . .

Q

I think you should write a book about the First World War! Azzer

Submitted February 3, 2008

A

I fear I have no taste at all for writing about WWI or II. Don't know why. Just not there, so I suspect your suggestion will have to be done by somneone else!

Q

Many thanks for the Sharpe series which finally (and sadly) finished last week. I found Cochrane to be a very enjoyable character, did he ever meet or serve with Nelson? Also are there any good books devoted to him?

Quick cheeky question here, if you were someone else would Bernard Cornwell be your favourite author? Sword Song and all the Saxon tales are brilliant and I can't wait till Azincourt. Many thanks James Trethowan

Submitted February 3, 2008

A

There's a new biography - can't recall the author off the top of my head, but put Cochrane into Google and you'll find it! I don't think he did serve with Nelson, but I can't swear to that.

Oh wow! That is a good question. I hope so!!

Q

Mr Cornewell, I gave my copy of "Redcoat" to a friend who is know desparate to know what happens to the main characters. Please let us know if you have any plans for another novel on those characters. Thanks! Josh Bagley

Submitted February 3, 2008

A

No, no plans for a sequel to Redcoat.

Q

I have recently finished the Arthur trilogy & loved them all. Because of bad eye sight, I listened to the books on tape & heard a reference to Camlon or Camelon almost at the end of the last book. Is this a reference to Camelon in Stirlingshire in Scotland?
Janice MacRae

Submitted February 3, 2008

A

It's a reference to the mysterious final battle of the saga, and I set it at Dawlish Warren in Devon, but that was a capricious choice! The 'cam' means 'crooked' so the dogleg channel of the Exe as it twists around the Warren is a small justification, but in truth we don't know where the battle of Camlann took place . . . I decided, on grounds of probability, that most of Arthur's exploits would have been in the southern half of Britain, but no one really knows!