Bulletin Board

Mr. Cornwell, I have always enjoyed reading historical fiction. I appreciate the great deal of research you put into your novels. I only recently discovered just how much work it is, as I have ventured to try my hand at it and thus far have written about fifty pages. Your use of imagery allows me to really see your settings and characters. I know that that is what any good writer hopes to achieve, but you have a talent. I teach High School English, Social Studies, Visual Arts and Physical Education at a small rural school in Northern Nova Scotia, Canada. Since moving here two years ago I have discovered its rich historical past, so it is that that I'm using as a backdrop for my attempt at writing. I just wanted to say that you are an inspiration, and I look forward to any of your new works. Sincerely Rob Barrett

Dear Mr Cornwell I have read with great enjoyment most of the Sharpe books. I have to congratulate you in producing such an accurate example of life for a soldier who has become an officer having served in the ranks. Sadly I must say that things have not changed in almost 2 centuries. I am still serving and had to laugh many times. My wife sadly is not amused but does put up with my addiction. Well done, well researched and thank you. I expect that there are many Sharpe fans like me out there reading your books with a wry smile on their faces. I have sent all of my Sharpe books to a good friend who like me is what we now call and what Sharpe was in your books 'a late entry officer' he is serving in Iraq on operations and I would like to send him my last book signed by yourself. If this is possible could your PA inform me please how I may do this? PM REED Major Royal Engineers

The superstition regarding Friday 13 as being unlucky has nothing to do with the Knights Templar. Fridays and the number 13 were considered independently unlucky (my seacaptain father would not sail on a Friday if he could possibly get the ship under way at 11.59 pm Thursday!). The first mention of Friday 13 being unlucky (or doubly unlucky) dates from Notes and Queries for 1913. According to the urban myth web page (www.snopes.com) the association with the Knights Templar is a recent invention. Kate

I re-read Sharpe's Christmas on the train to work this morning (thinking, en passant, how well both stories would translate to film) when I started thinking about Brigadier Gerard and his viewpoint of the same campaigns. I tried to imagine Sharpe and Gerard in the same room but I fear there would not have been the same mutual respect as there is between Sharpe and Gudin! Gerard was a fine, brave and honourable soldier (and a romantic) but a bit too cocksure and too liable to misinterpret the actions and motives of the rosbifs. Then I started thinking about the crossover between you and Forester with Rifleman Dodd as nexus. I read "Death to the French" after seeing the comment in your web page and despite the fact that I kept wanting to know what Dodd would do next, I found the book far and away the worst Forester I have read. It was full of inappropriate comments paralleling Napoleonic France and militaristic Germany. I haven't checked but I must see if it was written in the dark days of the Blitz or maybe even earlier! (there were anti-German references from WW1 e.g. the use of poison gas at Ypres). Very distracting and not good for the flow of the adventure narrative. Kate

Further to my comments on "Death to the French" I find it was first published in 1932, so it was between the World Wars although Forester may have been seeing a resurgence of militarism in the years immediately prior to the taking of power by the Nazi Party in 1933. Kate

Your remarkably well researched books have one serious blind spot. There are a number of errors concerning the British peerage, specially in Gallows Thief. It is not impossible for an earl not to have a subsidiary title by which his eldest son would be known in courtesy. In fact there is to my knowledge no earldom it has ever been conferred without one but they did create Edward the eighth Duke of Windsor without any subsidiary titles said could happen. In such a case however the son would not use the courtesy title of Lord Given-name Surname he would be the Hon. Also the heir to a dukedom uses the most senior of his father's junior titles, probably marquessate but would not use any subsidiary titles in courtesy. I am a postgraduate research student in modern history, my thesis deals with early New South Wales (especially in the 'gentility' carried by a commission) and found your Sharpe books excellent, especially Sharpe's Trafalgar which I will cite in my thesis. best wishes. Eric Strasser

When I rediscovered your work a few weeks ago I purchased "A Crowing
Mercy". Well, I just finished reading it. It kept my interest until the
last page. You tell a good story.

I am going to start reading the Sharpe stories again.

Jeff

Thank you for all the entertainment. I really appreciate all the hours of enjoyment. Thanks JS

I just finally wanted to write after many years of reading the Sharpe novels to tell you how much I love reading them. There are so many so-so stories out there but I pick up every Sharpe novel knowing I am going to have a great read -- and learn something, to boot. I've read a fair amount of military history but now you've got me interested in going back to read more about the Peninsular wars and even to read about India. Thank you very much for an enormous amount of pleasure. And I'm glad to see you live in Massachusetts, too. Sincerely, Paul Dobosh

Mr. Cornwell, may I say how refreshing it is to discover that you actually enjoy communicating with your readers! Some authors (I'll name no names) seem to regard us as nothing but inconveniences and pirates! I am a tremendous fan of the Sharpe series (having a lifelong addiction to the Napoleonic period) and just wish I could afford to buy the books when they come out rather than having to wait on the second hand market. Thank you for your creation of something so solidly readable and believable. Steve Smy

I just finished reading " A Crowning Mercy" and I think it is such a beautiful story. The ending was such a surprise . I loved this book so much. Just wanted to let you know. Jakki Hamzah