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Good day. I just completed reading Lords of the North and although I've never written an author before, I wanted to say thanks for writing. I've read almost all your works (can't bring myself to read the Starbuck chronicles - I live near Gettysburg and I've long ago had my fill of US Civil War fiction. Anyway; excellent work. I really appreciate the character development of Uhtred who, like all your main characters, has wonderful flaws. Thank you for this greatly entertaining and thoroughly well developed body of work. Looking forward to more. Dave Durbin

I recently wrote a list of the top 100 things I would like to achieve before my time expires. One of those things was to write a letter to my favorite author. I have never written a fan letter before, and all I really wanted to say is Thank You... Your books have given my endless pleasure, for which I am truly grateful. I truly believe that you have brought more happiness to more people than you will ever really know. Kindest regards, Warren Francis

Dear Mr. Corwell - I have been thoroughly enjoying your books. I just came across the last sentence in chapter 2 of "The Pale Horseman", where the Eftwyrd was renamed the Fyrdraca. You might be interested to know that a local medieval seafaring organization in Maryland had a 32 footlap-strake longship. It was named...you guessed it...Fyrdraca. A picture of the vessel and additional information can be found on their website, at http://longshipco.org/. Thanks again for sharing your writing with us. Jim Kneale

good day!....i have enjoyed all of your books immensely! i have seen most of the sharp! series on film and really enjoy them....i have been a fan of "rome" for a couple of years....while watching the hbo series...it dawned on me that the two main characters are very similar to sharpe and harper...and some of the screen plays are very similar to your historical perpectives in your books....hope there is no copyright infringement here....anyway keep up the good work and look forward to your next book....in anticipation...chuck johnson.....p.s. simon scarrow must be fan of your books....he's trying to steal your audience...not a chance

Hi Bernard. Hope this isn't construed as idea material but the Sharpe series veritably screams for a backwoods War of 1812 episode. Wasn't Packenham related to the Duke? New Orleans and Davy Crocket, the incineration of the White House, brilliant strategic retreats, the defence of Canada and Joseph Brant. . . all great cannon fodder for your dynamite plots. I know he was busy in Spain/France during this period but the American stab in the back (warhawks) may have warranted special dispatch - especially for a RIFLEMAN! Hope you sympathize accordingly. Love your style. Just about to meet the 'devil' of his Chilean adventure. Cheers and all the best Paul

Interesting 'TIME TEAM' programme on Channel 4 last Sunday. Baldrick was excavating Shorncliffe (in 3 days!) and as usual found very little. Sharpe was mentioned as were Sir J. Moore and the anticedents of the 'Riflemen' and the Baker rifle. Hope you saw it. Looking forward to the next Sharpe book. Cheers. Brian

No response necessary but wanted you to know that since early summer I've read all your books except the several with Susannah Kells ,which I'm starting now. They're all excellent but I particularly liked the Arthur and Alfred series for the reason that little is known and consequently written of the dark and middle ages. You described so vividly the savagery in battle in that era. Prisons weren't necessary! Reading your books have been a delightful supplement in the passing of a Montana winter. I'm anxious for Uhtred to fulfill his fate which is exorable! Tom King

Noticed the Discussion about the Battle of New Orleans. Do you know If Sweet William was there? Or how about Rider? I know Sharpie wasn't. Concur about Parkenham -- fool. I also read somewhere that he was killed in the battle, put in a cask of wine and shipped back to England -- and somewhere enroute the Navy drank the WINE!! As an author, you gotta love that!! As always, Scott

Hi again, Mr. Cornwell. Whenever the subject of Obediah Hakeswill comes up, you express regret at having killed him off so early. Well, I say WHY NOT bring Hakeswill back for one last fling? This is how you could do it: You probably have at least one post-Enemy Sharpe novel yet to write, and that would be the siege of San Sebastian, between Honor and Regiment (I know this gets into consistency problems, but you can fix that later). As a subplot to this, Hakeswill claws his way out of his coffin after they buried him. Sharpe's bullet didn't kill him, but rather traversed around the inside of Obediah's skull and exited in the rear. Since there was a bullet hole in his head and a lot of blood, Sharpe thought he was dead. Hakeswill is brain-damaged, but very much alive. He really is the unkillable man! He would have lost the power of speech and most of his higher thinking functions, but would remember Sharpe and his desire to see him dead. He disguises his face under a broad-brimmed hat and joins the army as a camp follower, doing any odd jobs he can. All the time that Sharpe is adventuring around the siege, Hakeswill is lurking in the background, waiting for his chance to stick a knife in Sharpe. I know that this is far-fetched, but your loyal fans will forgive you for bringing him back once more. Alan Kempner P.S. When Sharpe kills him THIS time, he'll probably dismember him, cremate the body parts, and then scatter the ashes at sea!

Sir, At the University of Texas I was able to take a series of classes on the History of Warfare from Dr. John Lamphear. At one point I asked him if he knew of any works of fiction based on military history and to my dismay he told me he didn't know of any. Purists, eh? A friend of my professor told me of Fraser's work about Harry Flashman and I'm sure you know how wonderful that series is and I know we all wait feverishly for Sir Harry to fight in the American Civil War. It wasn't long afterwards that I saw Sharpe on the History Channel. I enjoyed them. I also read your civil war novels. At the time I considered them an amusing sideline to the Flashman series. However, I then came across Derfel Cadarn and his story of Arthur. I've bought about a dozen sets for friends and just finished reading the trilogy for the fourth time. I cannot gush enough about how much I love your take on Arthur. You put so much life into it that I am convinced that it is the original and only telling of the legend. I feel that it is a stroke of great fortune that I recently picked up the Saxon tales and lo and behold "Lords of the North" just came out right as I finished the second book!! I then consumed "Lords of the North" in one day, and went back and re-read all three again. I hope that you've found a nice groove with the Saxon Stories and that you plan to keep the story going. I know it's a lot to ask, but I certainly hope the wait is not too long for the next one, and the next. While I love the Arthur books, I am spellbound by Uhtred of Bebbanburg. You've given Alfred the Great a chance to leap from the pages with life and color, and I think he deserves his chance to be firmly listed as one of the great captains of history. We owe you a debt of gratitude for bringing him to us. You weave your stories so well that I feel as though I'm part of the saga being sung by bards. I was once a soldier, long ago. Your writing has given me a very solid vision of Valhalla to yearn for. I don't want clouds and harps, I want to fight amongst my brother warriors, die gloriously, and then drink and fornicate the night away and start all over again in the morning for eternity. Your writing gave that to me and I am forever grateful. I wish you a long life and a bottomless inkwell so you can bring other great men for us to read about. Respectfully, -James Peacock