Your Questions

Q

Dear Bernard,I wanted to say that I appreciate your work,you´re the best in what you do!I have two questions for you,first I wanted to know when will Sword Song be released here in Brazil,and second,when and why the shield wall stopped being "used",because in the saxon stories it stills common,but when we see movies like Brave Heart they don´t use it anymore. Thank you for the attention,Lucas

Submitted January 4, 2008

A

I'm not exactly sure when Sword Song will be released in Brazil, but I believe Lords of the North was released there last November so I suspect it will be October or November of this year for the next book. There is a link to a Brazilian website on the Diary page of my website, perhaps you'll find the answer there?

I don't think you can rely on Braveheart as an accurate guide to history; to Mel Gibson's obsessions, yes, but as history it fulfils Henry Ford's expectations. The shield wall hangs on into mediaeval times, but with crucial changes. The first was the rise of the mounted knight, who dominates the battlefield from the 11th to the 13th century, but far more important was the advent of effective missile warfare, which really means the longbow. The longbow effectively ends the supremacy of the mounted warrior and drives men-at-arms back to their feet, so that at Agincourt the main fighting is entirely between men on foot. Real close-quarter, arms-length, nasty fighting, but it is no longer a shield wall because a second effect of the longbow was to increase the protective capacity of armour to the point that a knight would no longer carry a shield because his plate armour was protection enough. Nevertheless the clash of the men-at-arms at Agincourt was a battle that Uhtred would have recognised. In the 15th century we see the rise of the missile (firearms) and so the reliance on close-packed infantry using arms-length weaponry more or less vanishes.

Q

Mr. Cornwell: If you were "building a better mousetrap" again would you use "enormous charts" or some piece of computer software? I'm embarking on this activity and have horrible handwriting...can't read it....so am considering a spreadsheet of some sort. Secondly, have you considered speech recognition software rather than typing on a keyboard? Do you know any authors who do use voice recognition software? Greatly enjoy your work...you are very talented! Best Regards! Ken

Submitted January 4, 2008

A

I think I'd use charts still! You can pin them to a wall and stare at them, instead of mousing round them, but as I've never mastered a spreadsheet I can't really tell!

Q

Just wondering - are you able to disclose any information on the filming of the upcoming Sharpe TV episodes, or is it confidential? By the way, I bought Sharpe's Christmas to get into the Christmas spirit, and loved it - it's got a lovely balance of Christmas spirit and Sharpe's typical sheer bloody-mindedness. Thanks very much, and hope you have a great Christmas! Jen

Submitted January 4, 2008

A

It's mysterious. I honestly have no idea whether it's going to happen or not! I did get some very nice Christmas cards from the producers, full of good wishes, but with no news. And I don't ask. Ignorance is bliss.

Q

Merry Christmas, Mr. Cornwell! Your work, and that of George MacDonald Fraser, sparked an intense interest in British military history that has led me to choose that subject for my Master's thesis. Specifically I'm planning to write about the British infantry (focusing mostly on the Napoleonic and Victorian eras) and try to explore what made them so disciplined and steady under fire. I'm wondering what your take on the subject is? Do you put it down simply to training, or may it have something to do with something imparted by British cultural traditions? Thank you very much for your time. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of your next book(s). Sincerely, Jim Shaw (Vancouver, WA, USA).

Submitted January 4, 2008

A

Sadly, George MacDonald Fraser passed away on Wednesday of this week - a terrible loss.

Lucky you, that Richard Holmes has written two such excellent books on the British army in those periods!! Yours is a good question and I'm not certain I have a definitive answer. The British are certainly a martial race! They pretend not to be, which is to their credit, but history shows just how many wars they;ve fought. I think there is a high morale, a value on (understated) patriotism, and, of course, very high levels of discipline. I also have an idea that officer-other ranks relationships have usually been very good. When any of that breaks down (Singapore 42) then disaster ensues. Lawrence James's book Warrior Race might be well worth a look?

Q

Hi Bernard, I have recently spent 6 months in Afghanistan on tour with the British Army. During this time I read all 3 of the grail quest books. You capture the feel and sounds and sight of war so well, I doubt the way soldiers are will change ever from the Romans until the end of time. Your books were a joy to read on dark nights in that place, I have recently studied all I can about the battle of Agincourt and I wondered if you were ever going to base a book around that great event in English History? Many Thanks Ben

Submitted January 4, 2008

A

It is the book I am working on right now Ben!

Q

What ever happened to Jane-the second wife of Sharpe? And her unborn child--it is a dangling end for me. Thank you. Judith Hiller

Submitted January 2, 2008

A

I honestly don't know what happened to Jane Sharpe or her child, but I suspect nothing happy . . .

Q

Dear mr Cornwell, It has been a long while since i first found the warlord chronicles which i have been reading over and over, the books look ancient but are still in good shape. Also been reading the Uhtred stories, had to start again from the beginning as sword song was published so I would be in the story for 100%. Both these series are excellent, just finished sword song last night and I slept like a baby. I must compliment you with your fine work and hopefully somewhere next year I can buy the following up of sword song. Just have some questions, in the warlord chronicles there are a lot of maps which help giving me a bit of orientation of the happenings, but in the Uhtred stories there are less maps and they are not that helpfull. Why is that? Also, I just checked the waterstone bookstore and noticed that the warlord chronicles have been restyled, I like mine better. And how come that the Uhtred books are all different sizes while the warlord chronicles are one nice shape? Sorry if I write to much. Awaiting your answers, best regards Ruben (Amsterdam)

Submitted January 2, 2008

A

Not sure I can give a satisfactory answer to any of your question! Sorry! Maps, book covers and book size are all up to the publisher - and publishers work in mysterious ways.

Q

Dear Mr.Cornwell. I'm a very fond reader of your works - especially the Sharpe series as it unfolds during the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars... A period I find quite fascinating. I have found your novels very catching and hard to put on the shelf once the first page is turned. This is particularly due to your detailed and extensive historical research. As a Dane I looked forward to read Sharpe's Prey - a great book describing one of the key events to the making of modern Danish nationalism. Yet I was surprised to discover two things things in the novel which differed from historical facts. First The Danish militia army comprised of ca. 7000 foot, 600 horse and 13 guns and no Danish regulars were present at the battle. secondly I was surprised to find the Danish army being given blue uniforms. The Danish army was redcoat like the British. Both infantry, engineers and artillery wore red coats. The only exception being the "Jægerne" which used rifles and wore green - like the 95th. Was deliberately you chose to make the Danish army blue in order to make a more easily recognisable difference between "friend and foe"? Otherwise I must say that I am absolutely thrilled by your historical insight and ability to let history unfold so smoothly. Best regards and a merry Christmas. Bo Fønss

Submitted January 2, 2008

A

Then my sources, which are usually very reliable, must be wrong, so I apologise!

Q

Hello again, I'm really sorry about this but the last I contacted you I bemoaned the fact that my home town of Andover was listed as a wiltshire town in the saxon series. But appreciated your offer of a pint of hampshire Ale..Can I recommend Gales form Pompey...anyway...I went to buy a colleague a copy of the second book in the Arthur series as an xmas and was struck by the new cover...this seems to me to be about 4 hundred years out of sink. It almost looks like someone has been asked a to draw a picture for an Arthur story and gone with the cliche'd medieval Knights in shining armour type of thing and not read the book, which kind of upset me as I felt the whole attraction of the series was the getting away from this- I guess as a fan we get kind of precious,almost Autistic. I look forward to reading the next in the Saxon series,Also as an adopted child-who now works within Social Services- I am interested in your book on this subject. I met my genetic rellies a few years ago.. Any sorry to moan on again have a great Christmas and New Year

Graham Stovold

Submitted January 2, 2008

A

I'm not even sure I've seen it. . . . maybe, but you're quite right, there are some extraordinary covers out there. I know I was never consulted about the re-drawn covers. I wish I had been!

Q

Dear Bernard You have mentioned that your next book is on Agincourt I was just curious if you can say when you will have it released or failing that if you will be doing a free chapter on line. And as someone who (hopefully) will get to visit Agincourt is there any part you can recommend visiting?

And although this is more connected to your recent review of Fusiliers you mentioned about an action at Peneboscot bay when are few hundred redcoats and ships took on thousands of Americans. Is there any good books on that particular action you cam recommend????

And do you think you will ever write about the battle of Guilford courthouse where two of the top generals of the revolutionary war went at it???? Anyway Merry xmas from Geraint

BTW if you have not read and you are looking for something to read over Christmas I can recommend Jon Latimers War with America.One of the first books on the war of 1812 written by a Brit not a Canadian or American.

Geraint

Submitted January 2, 2008

A

It's an easy battlefield to see, partly because it's so small and, thankfully, relatively unchanged. There's an excellent museum nearby in Maisoncelles . . . sadly the castle in Azincourt itself long ago vanished! And once you've seen Agincourt (Azincourt) make the short drive to Crecy and tour that (larger) battlefield as well!

There are several quite hard to find books, and none that is in print except, possibly, George Buker's The Penobscot Expedition, published by the Naval Institute press (2002) in Annapolis, MD. But Buker is really trying to exculpate Saltonstall, the American naval commander, and though I have huge respect for Buker's research, I think his defence really stretches credulity! Probably the best short account is in a book by Charles Bracelen Flood called Rise and Fight Again that was published by Dodd Mead (NY) in 1976

I somehow doubt it, though it really is an amazing battle!

Thanks! I haven't read it, but I'll get a copy!