Your Questions

Hello, I am french and discovered your work by pure chance, through "l'affaire du tableau", (would that be "gallows thief" ?), which seems to be one of the very few among your books to be translated in my country. I think the Arthur series also has been translated, though I never saw it in bookshops. To be honest, your very name seems to be quite unknown, and -having just swallowed the three "harlequin" almost in one gulp- I keep wondering why. I can't believe the only reason for this non interest is because your heroes are anglo-saxon... I mean, CS Forester's captain Hornblower has had his success, and speaking of the middle ages the "pillars of earth", by Ken Follet, is doing well in France too... I have thoroughly enjoyed these XIVe century's adventures of yours, specially because of the many small details that don't often show in such books, such as how archers keep their arrows in a bag, etc. The only reproach I would venture to make is about french names, especially towns names, which to a french eye, or ear, seem sometimes ill chosen. I mean that Berat doesn't sound too much like a south western town, while Béziers is, and was at the time, one of the important real towns of the area. Not a tiny hamlet in Picardy ! even Astarac does not sound really convincing (maybe Estarac would do best), and I am midly convinced at the possibility of a low born girl named Geneviève at the time. I may be wrong but to me that name would probably be more upper class... But these are really very small détails indeed, and the bottom of it is that I really think it would be great to publish these books in french ! As for me, I stilla have to discover your other series, and that is a thrilling perspective ! Sophie Bogrow

Mr Cornwell, Congratulations on your newest book. It was fantastic, the last part especially, I could picture the fyrd and shield wall. One question though, was it coincidence that Father Pyrilg in some ways resembled your greatest character from your best series ever: Derfel, or was it intended? Uhtred was probably the only main character of yours who really got on my nerves though, although I did warm to him later on. Do you know of any authors who have written about this era, as I would like to read more about it? Thanks again for your great story telling, Lewis Young

Dear Mr. Cornwell, Both I and my son have become avid fans. I was curious as to where you found the name of John Faircloth, seeing as he is my ancestor. A member of my family has traced the Faircloth name to England where many of my forbears were ministers, as am I. A Samuel Faircloth was reputed to have served as Archbishop of Canterbury. Do you have any information? Thanks for your time and keep up the good work. Sincerely, Sean Faircloth, Savannah, Georgia

Dear Mr Cornwell, I am a french PhD student in organic chemistry and I do like reading novels especially in english in order to continue my training of your language. Thus a few weeks ago I was looking for a new book to read, in the books in english department of my favourite bookshop in Montpellier (France), when I found your novel "The Last Kingdom" in paperback edition. Your novel is absolutely fascinating and absorbing and it was hard for me to put it down, I even read it while walking back home in the evening after my day in the lab...So then at the end of the novel I was relieved to see that the sequel "The Pale Horseman" was already available in hardback and I ran to my bookstore to buy it... I just finished it and I am now already impatient to read the next adventures of Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Could you please tell me if there will be a sequel of "The Saxons Stories" and if when? I have read some historical novels before both in english and french (among them some of James Michener ones ) but few of them were as gripping as yours. Moreover thank you for the map and the place-names and historical notes. During a year I spent in England I visited York, Londres, Bath, Winchester and I found fascinating to visit those places thanks to you in the ninth century. I also saw a white horse in Wiltshire... As a french I have some vocabulary gaps in english, so could you please explain me the meaning of fyrd (is it another word for army??) And I would like some reading advices while waiting the next adventures of Uhtred... Thank you very much. Gwenaëlle SIZUN

Hello Mr. Cornwell, I've read and enjoyed all of the Sharp books, and my wife and I are big fans of the television series. I've been looking for information on an Irish ensign named Devlin or Delvin who engaged in some very heroic and foolhardy behavior at one of the sieges in Spain or Portugal. Can you point me to a source? Also, I've just published a book titled Killing the Celt. My web site for the book is www.killingthecelt.com/. Best wishes, Tomas

Dear Bernard, I was interested by the fact that you have lived in England, Ireland and America. Of those three peoples, what are the individual qualities that you like most about them in turn? What differentiates them in your memory? Just a remark on what you like most about each country would be intriguing to hear.
Paul Reid

Hi again, Mr. Cornwell. How many novels would you estimate the Starbuck Chronicles will eventually run to, assuming that you get him all the way to Appomattox? My guess is about fourteen novels total. Does that sound about right to you? Alan Kempner

Hi Bernard Re: Silver Pyx Just read The Pale Horseman. Great stuff. Liked your dedication to GMF: one of my greats too. However - re the silver pyx or plate which is featured. As a certifiable word nerd I'd been researching the origins of the verb to box and found it possibly connected with the ancient Greek word for fist- pyx - which seems to have come directly down to us as a small fist sized box used to house religious items. So I wondered, where did your use of the word pyx for a plate come from? Best wishes Steve Ainsworth Halifax West Yorks

Dear Bernard, After reading your comments in a previous post on the intention of more archer stories I had to write in ask if you if you considered writing about the battles of Maplins Moor and Halidon Hill and the wars against the Scots. They seemed a far more deadly enemy and after reading about your description about Nivelles Cross they seemed a much more more interesting and its seems more dangerous enemy than the French ever were. BTW Since your are like me a fan of George Macdonald Fraser have you read the Steel Bonnets on the border wars if not I can recommend it. Yours sincerely, Tony

I was wondering whether, when you write, you use UK or US spellings and words. Particularly when I read your answer below, that there will be a new Sharpe "maybe by next fall" (Hooray for that thought!) rather than "next autumn". Helen