Your Questions

Q

Dear Bernard After recently watching Last of the Mohicans (great film) and inparticular the massacre at Fort William Henry I wondered how true to life that was Did the Colonel actually get his heart cut out alive! and where there any survivors?? I also wondered whether you had ever thought about the 7yrs war???? People now call the Napoleonic wars the first world war but I wonder if that title belongs to this war. btw you have mentioned books post Napoleonic-wars ever thought of either sending Sharpe with John Colbourne to the Canadian rebellions of the 1830's which seemed to have a lot of Napoleonic vetrans almost like there last hurrah or maybe to New Zealand and the Maori wars where the British bayonnet met its match?? P.S Just read the re-published War on the River Plate on the 06/07 Beunos Aires expeditions by Ian Fletcher its worth a read if you have not read it. Regards Geraint

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

I've no idea is the answer!! I'm glad you liked the movie. I hated it!

I think Sharpe deserves his rest after the wars! I doubt very much that I'll carry him on into the `1830's, but never say never!

It is! I agree!

Q

Hi I have just finished reading Lords of the North and I loved it. Can you tell me when the next book will be availiable and also are you going to release another Starbuck book? Many Thanks Craig Nixon

I just love your books. I cant read anything other than your books. I have read the grail quest series, the arthur books and The Last Kingdom. I recently heard that "The Lords of The North" is not the final istalment in "The Saxon Stories". Is this true? And when will the fourth instalment be published, if there is a fourth book. Thanks, Faraz Khan

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

The fourth book (but not the last book) of the Saxon stories will be available in October of this year.

I do hope to release another Starbuck book, but I don't know when.

Q

Dear Bernard, hope you are well and happy New Year. I've just begun reading 'Sharpe's Devil' and was wondering why you chose to use the American version of the word 'jailer' as opposed to the old English version 'gaoler'? Having read the majority of your novels, especially those around Sharpe I found this strangely out of place. Have I missed something? Be lucky old son and keep those books coming! Glenn.

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

Jailer is first used in English in the 13th Century. Not very American! The spellings have been used fairly interchangeably, as far as I can see, for hundreds of years. Tindale, in his translation of the New Testament, uses jailer (1526). The Authorised Version of the Bible (King James Version) uses jailer, not gaoler. The word originated from the French and I guess the spelling never quite settled down, but the form jailer is emphatically English, not American.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, in the author's not of your novel Stonehenge. You state clearly that the deitys and the religion described in the book are fictional. To what extent is the same true of the druidic deitys and rituals describe in the warlord series? Steven Howarth

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

Less so, but still very foggy. The only source for druidic practices was written by their enemies, so is biassed and tantalisingly incomplete. There are many theories, of course, some of which connect them to Stonehenge, but that seems entirely unlikely.

Q

Happy New Year, Mr. Cornwell. I've noticed, whenever Sharpe wants his sword sharpened, he finds the regimental sharpener with his grinding wheel. Why would this be preferable to simply running a whetstone across the blade? Would soldiers have been equipped with whetstones for sharpening swords and bayonets when in the field with no grindstone available? Alan Kempner

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

So far as I know whetstones were not issued, though doubtless they were carried and much used for sharpening bayonets. Sharpe wouldn't carry one, though his servant, if he ever had one, might. But the idea of sharpening an infantry officer's sword on a cavalry grinding wheel came from the letters of an officer in the Peninsular - so I reckon it's an accurate detail!

Q

I have read your Grail Quest books several times and love them. I feel like I have being watching Rocky when I have read them, and feel so proud to be English (hope that doesn't sound to sad!)I was wondering if you have plans for another Battle for Thomas? Happy New Year, Darren

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

I really do think Thomas of Hookton's tale is told, so I suspect the answer, disappointingly (sorry), will be no.

Q

I have simply loved every book of yours I have read, especially the Sharpe series. You must spend incredible amounts of time researching the circumstances and background, but my sense is you love it! Anyway, I noticed there is a BBC Video (staring Sean Bean) called "Sharpe's Challenge." I do not recall a book by that name, and the plot line (takes place in India after Waterloo) is not familiar. Is there a book on which this is based? Tom Keyser

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

There is no novel for 'Sharpe's Challenge' - although the film is loosely based on the books Sharpe's Tiger and Sharpe's Fortress.

Q

Mr. Cornwell, I am more than half way through "Gallows Thief." Is there a chance that Sharpe will meet up with Sandman? John Eaton

Submitted January 17, 2007

A

I guess that's always a possibility!

Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell, Are your books available in French, in Québec?
Carol Lynn Chevrier

Submitted January 16, 2007

A

Some - yes. The French publisher Michel Lafon has translated The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman to French and those books should be available in Québec (I believe The Pale Horseman comes out this month). The Warlord Chronicles and the Grail Quest Series, Stonehenge and Gallows Thief were all translated to French. No Sharpe books have been available in French translation but that will change this Spring when Movie Planet publishes Sharpe's Eagle (L'aigle de Sharpe) in French translation.

Q

Hi,I live in Brazil and I like your books a lot,but they take too long to be released here.So far I've only read the "Last kingdon" of yours Saxon stories,and I want to know when the next one will be released here? Thank you,Lucas

Submitted January 16, 2007

A

I think The Pale Horseman will be available in Brazil in March or April of this year. Don't know about Lords of the North there yet.