Do you plan to continue writing Sharpe books into the foreseeable future? Thank you. Kieran
Yes.
Hope you don't asking a few questions, I just watched Sharpe's Challenge on ITV1, as you have previously mentioned it did remind me of some of the books. I don't know if you already know that there is an article in Wikipedia about Richard Sharpe and yourself, do you have any plans to make these articles as accurate as possible??? Secondly, If you are going to write another book in the Sharpe Series after "Sharpe's fury" where in the chronology is it likely to be, I think we can just about say 1812 and 1813 are out considering that Sharpe is otherwise indisposed? Perhaps in the following book in the Sharpe Series after "Sharpe's Fury" could involve the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube??? Thanks in advance for answering the questions.
I haven't seen the Wikipedia article so I don't know if it's accurate or not.
I am going to write another book, but not for at least a year, and I probably won't start thinking about its context for six more months . . . . so I don't know is the answer! But thanks for the suggestion.
You're right about finishing Sharpe and Starbuck and then going back and reading histories of the events! Great fun. Will the Sharpe movies be available for purchase in DVD format? They weren't carried on my TV stations - at least, I didn't see them advertised anywhere? Linda Blocker
The Sharpe films are available on DVD. Go to the Suggestions for Further Reading page for the Sharpe books on this website, scroll down to the 10th listing and you will find a posting for the DVDs - along with links to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. There is a link on the home page of this website for purchasing the latest film 'Sharpe's Challenge' on DVD.
Dear Mr. Cornwell, wow, fantastic literature. I believe your Saxon books are what C.S. Lewis called "high literature"! I just finished The Pale Horseman in four days and could not put it down! may I ask two questions? one: The Pale Horseman makes numerous references to Norse religion and Christianity. By this are you historically suggesting that the English believe, but may not admit that they believe, that England was saved by a combined spiritual force of Norse gods and Christ helping them in battle?
and secondly, does any of the book reflect any of your own personal beliefs about what Jesus means to you? thank you so much for the good read! I am going to go back and look for the Last Kingdom, very excited about it and the Lords of the North! well done sir, well done! Matthew Ward
Alfred believed it, and happily admitted that he believed it, and I'm pretty certain most of the Saxons believed it - and admitted it. I'm not suggesting there was any supernatural force at work, but of course religious belief is a powerful motivator and the struggle against the Danes was certainly about religion - though much more about land. Alfred naturally ascribed his victories to Christ, but doubtless the Vikings ascribed their victories to Odin and Thor.
I'll give you a short answer to that one, and assure you that it's brevity is not meant as a discourtesy. No.
Dear Mr Cornwell Firstly I feel I must congratulate on your Sharpe series it really is first class and a joy to read and watch. I was wondering if you had any tips for a budding writer who is researching armed forces and also their armouries, I wish to write up a relations diaries from the Boer Wars but I wouldn't know where to start with the research side and keeping it all historically accurate. Many Thanks in advance, I hope to read many more Sharpe books in the coming future. Regards Richard Judges
I haven't a clue where you'd start on the Boer War - it's a period that has never interested me. But you probably start with the books which give you a good overview, and work from their bibliographies. There was a recent book on the war, but I can't remember either author or title (go to Amazon and use their search engine). The one indispensable source, of course, are the Osprey books which will give you loads of useful stuff on uniforms and equipment. Get those, gut them, and follow the leads in their bibliographies.
Hello, Mr.Cornwell! Its me again!(I forgot to add this to the last message)My dad, who by the way is Welsh and living in Queensland, Australia, read the first Arthur Book(Im sending him the next two cause he cannot find them) was made all of a sudden very homesick and I am looking forward to the trip that he and I plan to take to Britain. I absolutely love everything ive ever read, seen or heard about Britain. The History, the people, even the weather if you beleive it! He also told me the story of Alfred and the cakes! I was wondering if that was going to make it into The Pale Horseman. When you added that scene my admiration for your ability to weave absolutely EVERYTHING, historical and folk lore into a book was increased...something I never thought possible as you are already my favourite author and the one who inspired me to writing. P.S. I noticed every talking about you continuing certain book series. I know its most likely not going to happen but would I be unreasonable in praying that you might consider finding some possible, minute way of continuing the Warlord Chronicles, or some varient? pweety pwease...Cheers mate! from Matthew Hanks
Hi Mr. Cornwell. I've really enjoyed your books over the years, expecially the Sharpe's and Warlord series. I have to admit- the Warlord Series is my favorite too. You've mentioned in previous FAQs that there won't be any more Arthurian books (Arthur is off waiting to come back and all), however there is always room for a prequel. I've always been curious about Arthur's relationship with his father and his brother, the battle that killed the elder Mordred, and Arthur's exil to Gaul and his campaign against the Franks. Derfel is a good writer, but alas, he left out so much. Perhaps the good lady Igraine could slip him a few more parchments? Regardless, thanks for breathing new life into such a well loved tale. Scott Case
Um, maybe, perhaps, probably not? I don't want to sound dismissive, because it's a terrific idea, but I feel, for myself, that the three books are enough and that to add to them is to dilute them. Maybe someone else can write it?
I understand your shared a stage with Geogre Macdonald Fraiser. do you think (bit of a long shot) that you and he could one day have Sharpe and Flashman meeting?
Dean
I really doubt it! Nice idea, but the copyright problems would be hell.
Dear Bernard, I have read the majority of the Sharpe Series and watched the film adaptations, including the recent Sharpe's Challenge which was thoroughly enjoyable (as are all the stories). I just wondered if you have further plans to write another television episode? All the best. Rick.
I didn't write it! It was written by a screenwriter by the name of Russell Lewis.
Dear Mr. Cornwell, I have been an avid reader of historical fiction for years, and I truly enjoy the Sharpe series the most. Thank you so much for the wonderful attention to detail that your books contain. While surfing on the web, I have recently made the discovery of several fan sites that contain quite a lot of 'fan fiction' concerning the Sharpe series. I have heard that several authors are rather offended by the idea of amateurs writing about their characters, while others seem flattered or simply don't seem to care much about the whole fan fiction phenomenon; and I was curious what your opinion was on the general topic of fan fiction? Sincerely, Shelly Lloyd
I'm of the school that doesn't care. I confess I don't read them, but I think it's very flattering that they exist. I'm not sure I'd gain anything by reading them . . . that sounds pompous, and I don't mean it to be, but I plainly can't use any ideas that I find there (hello, litigation) and I spend more than enough time with the rogue without spending more, so I'm quite happy that they're out there, and I wish them joy, but Sharpe and I just ignore them.
Hello again Bernard, As you may remember I have been thoroughly captivated by the first 2 Arthur books...& now only a few pages into Excalibur I am again knocked-over by your story-telling strategies. So stunned when Derfel travelled to far-eastern LLoegyr to see Aelle, only to find that Lancelot, Bors, & Arthur's 2 rebel-sons were sitting at Aelle's table alongside Cerdic. The mind begins to reel wondering 'how will he get out of this one?'...Then, I find myself really liking Bors after all his assistance to the treacherous Lancelot, but recalled Arthur's opinion of Bors much earlier in the trilogy when he said "unfair" in defence of Bor's character being maligned. Apart from being a songwriter, I am also a Molluscan scientist & was curious where you picked up the information about the luminous secretions of 'piddocks' (pholadid bivalves)- the fluid that Merlin smears on Olwen the Silver to make her glow. Was this from historical sources (ie a practice actually performed in the past) or did you consult a scientific contact when constructing this part of the story ? Cheers....Darryl Potter (Australia)
My source, and for once I can actually remember a source, was Pliny the Elder's Natural History! Not very up to date, I'll admit. Pliny remarks in that wondrous book that he'd noticed at night-time dinner parties how peoples' mouths glowed after they'd eaten piddocks, and I thought that was fascinating. I did look up piddocks in other places, and nothing seemed to contradict Pliny, so I went with it.