Your Questions

Q

Dear Bernard In reference to the query about Fredrickson and the 60th deployment and position it was posted to North America at Halifax and took part in the conquest of Maine and the capture of Fort Castine and remained in Halifax till 1817. In further to this I always wondered if you had ever considered sending Fredrickson or any other charachter on his own spin-off novel to the bloody Niagra campaign of 1814 the battle of Lundy's Lane that rivals Albuera and Waterloo as a firefight yet like the war itself sadly ignored at least on this side of the Atlantic. There are two excellent Websites I found that provide great info on the Units and battles that fought in that war - they are http://www.warof1812.ca/charts/regts_na.htm and http://members.tripod.com/~war1812/. And I do not know if you have read it or not but I can recommend JM.Hitsman's excellent single issue 'The Incredible War of 1812' as a book to read. And there are some excellent letters written by Wellington to the commander Prevost on the conduct of the war and some highly praiseworthy of said conduct (keeping it a defensive war etc) Regards, Tony

Submitted June 23, 2006

A

I've not thought about writing a book about Frederickson and Lundy's Lane, but again it's a question of never say never! Thanks for the recommendations.

Q

Two questions if you have time. Your opinion of Banastre Tarleton? Misunderstood or super-villain?

Would you consider yourself a "dog person" or a "cat person"? R Bale

Submitted June 23, 2006

A

Hero, of course. One man's misunderstood villain is another nation's hero. He was an extraordinarily effective cavalry leader. He wasn't a great politician after the war, but during the revolution he was brilliant. Too many people judge him from the film 'Patriot', which distorts everything, including the Green Dragoon.

A cat person. I like independent souls, not needy ones.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I don't know if anyone has ever brought up these points before, but I was wondering about a couple of continuity errors in the Sharpe novels. These are presumably because you wrote the original twelve novels (From Sharpe's Eagle in 1981 to Sharpe's Devil in 1992)focusing on The Peninsular War/Invasion of France/Waterloo sequence of events, and then later decided to go back in time and tell the story of Sharpe's past......One has to do with Sharpe's account of how he came to be flogged in India. The second continuity error is a discrepency between Sharpe's Devil (1992) and Sharpe's Trafalgar (2000).... I enjoy the Sharpe series enormously, and found these discrepencies on re-reading the original novels after a gap of several years. Your prequel novels are here contradicting what has been established about Sharpe's background and history. As a fan of your novels, I was wondering if you were aware of these contradictions and were ever planning to revise/re-edit the texts so as to clear them up? I think they are a marvelous series of novels anyway, perhaps I am just being pernickity about details. I very much look forward to the latest installment, Sharpe's Fury! Thank you for yor time and I look forward to hearing from you. Yours truly, Tom Hill.

Submitted June 23, 2006

A

I am well aware of the discrepencies - Perhaps I may attempt a re-write some day to clean up the inconsistencies - but not until the series is complete - which may be several years (or longer?).

Q

I have a question; in part two of Vagabond Thomas of Hookton is discussing his father's book with Sir Giles and the Roman Centurion who stuck the spear into Christ's side is mentioned, his name is Longinus, is this the same Casca Longinus from The Eternal Mercenary series by Barry Sadler who is condemned to immortality by Christ or is it coincidence or was the centurion a real figure from history?
Philip Newton

Submitted June 23, 2006

A

Longinus is traditionally the name given to the centurion who supervised the crucifixion, so I presumably took it from the same tradition as Barry Sadler. The name is not, of course, mentioned in the Bible, so where did it come from? From a 5th Century apocryphal book called The Gospel of Nicodemus.

Q

Hi, At first excuse me for my ugly English. I'm Ugo, a young Italian guy, a fan of your stories. I've read for the first time one of your book (the winter king) eight years ago, when I was 12, and I loved it immediately. I remember the emotion I had felt while I waited the publication of the Excalibur volumes. Now I have just finished to read the Thomas of Hookton adventure and I'm amazed. I thought it was impossible to love a character as I loved Derfel but now I adore Thomas too. I have now a few question for you, of course you could decide if answer or not. I think there is some resemblance between the characters of yours books. Derfel, Thomas and Saban, feel sometimes the same emotion and their behavior is often similar. Do you have a particular model of man? This model, if exist, is a real human being or is a creation of your own mind? I've already tell I adore some of your characters but do you have a similar respect for the character of other authors? What kind of authors do you like? For example do you like Tolkein? The last question is very personal and, as the others, I don't force you to answer. There are some similarity between you and the character of yours book? Could happen I create a character (I'm trying to be a writer since I was 10), often involuntary, that behaves like me, perhaps this happens you too. With this I've finished the list of my curiosity. I only hope you aren't annoy by my question, I should be sad of this. Thanks. Ugo

Submitted June 23, 2006

A

But your English is beautiful - and nothing even close to annoying! I suppose that I make fairly similar main characters because that's the sort of person I like to write about! Does that make sense? So the model is my imagination, so yes, I suspect there are similarities between me and the men I write about, except that they're much braver! I'm happiest writing about awkward, difficult men who don't quite fit into their own societies and have to fight their way to survival. And yes, I have a great fondness for the characters of other authors (Lucas Davenport in John Sandford's Prey series is a particular favourite). I love Tolkein! I've read The Lord of the Rings at least twice and will probably read it again before I die. I suspect that your best characters will resemble you in some way - it may be nothing obvious, but their view of the world will probably be yours. That way you can get inside their heads and make them real. Good luck!

Q

Hello again, Have now become a complete Sharpe "nut" and after reading just the first two books. Have already got the next 4 lined up in order waiting to be read. Never thought I would find military history so intriguing, but can any one recommend a good dictionary of military terms? I know infantry cavalry and artillery. That an army is the largest unit that a single soldier is the smallest unit, but where in between do companies troops and battalions fit in? Do infantry officers ride horses when marching, what are heavy brigades and light brigades were all cavalry from the upper classes. Please someone help me out here it would greatly increase my enjoyment of the books if I understood a little more of army hierarchy. Also I'd like to add my pleas to those of a previous e-mail lets find out what happens to his french farm and Teresa's daughter (as long as it is nice) I do read awfully fast, so I am afraid you are going to have to keep your nose to the grindstone please Mr Cornwell. Thanks for reading this, Loia

Submitted June 23, 2006

A

Equip yourself (from Abebooks.com) with Philip Haythornthwaite's Weapons and Equipment of the Napoleonic Wars which, despite the title, deals also with the organisation of the armies. It was published by the Blandford Press (UK) in 1979, and has a long glossary at the end.

Q

Hello Mr Cornwell Now that you have kick started the Sharpe series again after a short break, will you continue to write one Sharpe a year for the foreseeable future? I know you release 2 books a year, so one Sharpe a year for the next...oh I don't know...10 or 12 years? Should be acceptable to us fans! Secondly, you obviously have an idea how many new adventures you can squeeze into the Peninsular Wars, so can you estimate how many Sharpes we are likely to get? Thirdly and finally, would you consider some short stories about Sharpe's earlier life, to make into one larger book? Sorry about all the questions. Your devoted fan, Nick

Submitted June 23, 2006

A

I've been writing one a year for three of four years now, and it's probably time to give him a rest. Sharpe works better if he has a year or two off, and he's about to go on leave for at least a year. How many more when I resume? Don't know. Say five? I always say five. I said five over fifteen books ago. So I don't really know, but if you want a definite answer - five. I have thought about the short stories...it's a possibility.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I came across your Sharpe books quite by accident, but read on the cover about your early influence from the Hornblower series. That series I had read from beginning to end, mainly because my son and I had tired of watching the Hornblower DVDs by A&E over and over and I needed more. I instantly became engrossed in the Sharpe series and, of course when I found out that movies had been made went out and purchased one- Sharpe's Rifles. But I must say it was a very disappointing production. My wife and I (who I turned onto the Sharpe series and enjoys it as well) found the movie hard to follow, acting was mediocre and there was very little character development. Are you pleased with these productions? Did we pick a bad one to start with and are the others better done? I am sure you have watched the A&E Hornblower series and can relate to the comparison. At this point I am looking forward to continue reading Sharpe, but would not recommend the movies. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the Sharpe productions. Sincerely, Dane Roberts

Submitted June 22, 2006

A

Sorry to hear you were disappointed. I'm very happy with the way the actors portrayed the characters, especially Sean's portrayal of Sharpe.

Q

I'm a 13 year old kid who doesn't read a lot. That all changes with your books. I see it, I read it, I can't stop. I read the Pale Horsemen with glee. I love the Arthur series and the grail quest. Truly magical. I have one question - were any of your characters made up in the Arthur series? You inspire me sir, I daresay you get that a lot but your books take reality away and I imagine I am Uhtred and Thomas. People make fun of me at school because I can't put your books down but I'm not bothered as long as I am reading true masterpieces. I love the way you pull off short and long sentences and describe the enemy as fearsoome, making me sweat. Your work is the Dickens of the 21st century. Andy

Submitted June 22, 2006

A

Thanks for your message Andy! Characters made up in the Arthur books? Lots of them! You can more or less tell which ones - if they don't have famous names (Lancelot, etc) or if they're not mentioned in the Historical Note then it's a pretty sure bet that I invented them. But I wrote the series too long ago to remember any specifics now.

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