I have read most everything that you have written, and it has been very enjoyable. Keep up the good work. Yours, Joseph O'Carroll Chicago Il
I just wanted to thank you for your very entertaining books. They carried me though the winter(as TV, short of some PBS shows, is garbage). I had just finished Patrick O'Brian's "Aubrey/Maturin" series and my daughter bought me the first 5 books of C.S. Forester's "Hornblower" series for Christmas. Then I was out of books for a couple of weeks and my wife picked up "The Archer's Tale" ("Harlequin" sorry), then the "Vagabond" and the "Heretic" at the library. I enjoyed them. From the jackets I rediscovered you were the author of the worthy series on PBS "Sharpe's Rifles". Since I've never seen a movie or a show that could do a book justice and I was interested in the period setting fron O'Brian's work, I have been reading your "Sharpe" series with a good deal of enthusiasum and appreciation. Chronologically I am up to "Sharpe's Sword". I only regret that I find them enthralling and therefore a fast read. I appreciate the stories and your historical notes and have to believe you enjoyed writing them as much as I did reading them. Thank you once again. Roger Eddy
Dear Mr. Cornwell: I have recently discovered your novels, although I see you have been around for quite some time. I'm voraciously going through anything I can find of yours in print other than the Sharpe series. I do like your contemporary novels, even though they are not your favorites, but I especially love the Viking series...(re: Thomas of Hookton) Personally, I went to your books for a change of pace, and I have not been disappointed in one of them. My only complaint is that I cannot get through them fast enough. I think I will next go to the Arthur series, then I will try the Starbuck Chronicles. I do so envy your talent. Sincerely, Shan Octavio
Hi I've just finished reading the second of your Warlord books, having already read the first and the last. I thought it was the best of the three, with a lot of twists and action. After reading it, I went on the web to read about what historical and mythical information there is about Arthur. While doing so I had a thought which you might find interesting, or which you might have had already. When you write historical novels you manage to frame a lot the legendary material in an original, entertaining, yet historically plausible way. But with the Arthur legends there are two problems with this. Firstly, there is no way of getting round the fact that the saxons actually won eventually, Arthur or no Arthur. Secondly, reconciling Arthurs departure, sleep, and eventual return with actual historical accuracy seems completely impractical. (I pause at this juncture to recompose myself because my girlfriend has just read this and has spent the last ten minutes laughing at me and calling me a geek) Then I read about the Bretons, who moved to Brittany in France because of the Saxon invasion. I thought about William the Conqueror, part Breton, and the Bretons in his army in 1066. And I thought, in a way, King Arthur did return victorious! Its not such a stretch to imagine that Arthurs escape was to Brittany, nor is it that if he established a line of descent, he would be one of William the Conquerors ancestors. And the Bretons who fought for William at the battle of Hastings would have been descended from those driven out of Britain by the Saxons however many centuris before. This isn't an idea for a book, just a line of reasoning I thought you might be interested in hearing.
By the way, never read Sharpe, but I loved the Grail Quest books (did research for that give you the idea for doing the Arthur books?), the warlord books, and I think Uhtred is a delightfully dark sort of hero! How many books are there in ALfred and Uhtred? Looking forward to the next one. Thanks for the books! Paul
It's an idea, of course, and the only fly in that otherwise nice ointment is that William was a Norman, and the Normans got their name from the Northmen and were, in fact, Vikings. Still, it is a nice idea!
The Arthur books were written about five years before I began writing the Grail Quest series.
I don't know how many Uhtred books there will be - Maybe seven? Maybe eleven? I'll know when I reach the end.
Dear Mr Cornwell, I just finished 'The Last Kingdom'. Wonderful! I enjoyed it very much. Uthred reminds me (just a bit) of Helios from Richard Powell's 'Whom the Gods Would Destroy'. I mean this as a high compliment, as Mr Powell's book is one of my all time favorites. The Ragnar/Uthred-Helios/Odessyess mentor relationships are a universal theme and make a great story. Thanks. William Knodell
As a Richard Sharpe addict since the first publication of "Sharpe's Eagle" in paperback (somehow I missed the hardback), who has read through the entire series three times, I was intrigued today to see some of the details of the forthcoming two-part production on ITV, "Sharpe's Challenge". So I did some research on the web to find further information about it, such as when what I thought would be the book on which the film is based was due to be published. I couldn't find anything other than the occasional passing reference to "Bernard Cornwell", but allbecame clear (I think!) when I read a plot synopsis: After some plot lines to establish the wherefores, Sharpe and Harper, disguised as deserters, will be inside a maharajah's fort and will blow up the walls... Wait a minute!! Isn't this large chunks of plot from "Sharpe's Tiger"? Will Sharpe experience déjà vu? Will Harper, like Hogan before him, baulk at calling Sharpe "Dick"? When did Harper's Isabella change her name to Ramona? I know that you've explained the "loose connections" between the novels and the films in previous replies to posts, but this time it really goes too far. Needless to say, I'll still be watching next week! Many thanks for several great series of books; please, PLEASE, resume the Starbuck chronicles soon! Douglas Hall
Dear Mr. Cornwell, I have read many of your works and enjoyed them all but it is the Starbuck Chronicals that I enjoyed the most. Please consider taking up that story again. Whether it be in the Eastern or Western theater we've been waiting a long time. Thanks, Dennis Kelly
Dear Mr.Cornwell, I plan to spend the summer reading Sharpe after spending the winter with Hornblower. Sailors first, then soldiers said the wench. Regardless, thanks for the entertaining and informative website. And the wonderful characters. Sincerely, Bib Arthur, Chicago, IL
I have enjoyed your Sharpe books, your Arthur books, the Grail Quest series and Saxon Stories. They have provided much entertainment, have stimulated interest and I always look forward to your next book and lament when a series comes to a close. Thank you. You're one of my favorite authors. Larry Lambert (Newport Beach, California, US)
just finished the saxon stories and really only looked on the net to see if another story was in the pipe lines. I was very relieved to see the story continues. I have read the grail quest books also and thoroughly enjoyed them. Thankyou for the many hours of pleasure your books bestow. Karen Pisani