Your Questions

Dear Bernard I just finished reading Sharpe's Escape bringing me up to date with the series and I wanted to write and say thanks for another wonderful book. I was going to ask about the fate of Rifleman Dodd after his abrupt depature from the South Essex, but found the answer to my question on the FAQ page. I have been living in the US for the past two years and can't wait to get back home to the UK and rejoin the Sharpe Appreciation Society. Hopefully, I will get to one of their conventions in the near future. I am keenly anticipating the next installment in 2007. I was just wondering how long on average it takes you to write a Sharpe novel. Thanks Helena

You are a great story teller. Your accuracy, as far as I can tell, is amazing. Please keep giving your readers names of books and authors to read. I am retired and love to read history. I appreciate you pointed out Jac Weller. Did Muhammad get his idea of Heaven from Valhalla, the corpse hall of Odin? Muhammad must have had Scandinavians fighting with him. Keep up the great work. Dave Richardson

Dear Bernard, I am a big fan of your work, so as you can imagine I share your enthusiasm for military history. I am studying law at the moment(don't tell Sharpe) and am considering a dissertation about military law particularly in the redcoat era. Could you recommend any reading that may be of use to me, or any libraries in the UK that may hold any helpful information? Can't wait till The Pale Horseman, and must congratulate you on Fallen Angels, and a Coat of Arms which I finally found a few weeks ago after a marathon search. Neil

As an avid reader, I reread old favorites. I reread all you novels quite often. As a book reviewer in an obscure Western Virginia Newspaper, I read with a critical eye. I noticed a usage that interested me. In your early books (later in time), you referred to The Sultan Tipoo. In your later books (earlier in time), you referred to "The Tipoo Sultan". Why the change in usage? Larry Shield

Dear Bernard After reading the recent article of yours in the Newspaper on your adoption and the shocking treatment received (And had me wondering How can a kind Christian justify that) have you ever thought of writing an autobiography on your life???? 2)Also will you be touring in Chester for the next book release in October??? 3) As a fan of Flashman have you ever met George Mcdonald Fraser (When's he going to write about Flashy in the US Civil war!) 4) After reading about the battle of the windmill in Canada in the 1830's with plans for the Alamo of the north and how many old Napoleonic war and war of 1812 veterans were involved have you ever thought of getting old man Sharpe there for one last day in the sun??? BTW I can recommend Tammerlane Sword of Islam by Justin Marozzi. He was the second greatest conquerer after Ghenghis Khan but he is largely forgotten or ignored so this is worth a read and its always a huge what if he had gone west and met the english war bow rather than east. Geraint

Dear Mr Cornwell, I love your books especially the Warlord Chronicles. I read that you have a Cornish crabber called Royalist. Is that a gaff-rigged boat? I have come across Morecambe Bay shrimpers and they're gaff-rigged. Did you sail her to the US yourself? If you're ever short of crew then my fiance and I would love to come and help out. He and I are RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster(theory) respectively. Unfortunately we live in Essex, (actually just around the corner from the Essex Regiment Museum which has some great artifacts that Sharpe would have been familiar with) so I'm afraid it's probably not a very practical offer. With best wishes for fair winds, Helen

Hi, I'm 15 years old and I'm from Brazil. Here you have a lot of fans of my age and older. Unfortunately your fans from here suffer because there is a lack of your books translated to Portugese. Just this month I was able to buy a book of the Sharpe series, and it take ages for your new books to get here. Can you do something? The Brazilians already have a incompetent president, and a corrupt government, at least they should have good books to read and watch the country go down... Farewell, FMR.

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I have started reading your Richard Sharpe Series and must say that it is outstanding. It truly is an epic story and I thank you for the enjoyment I have received from reading it. I have a question however pertaining to the conflict that was occuring in the United States at the same time as Napoleon was ravishing Europe. I hope you may be able to help. Not much is written on the War of 1812, or at least written where I can get my hands on it. My question is about the Battle of Chippewa, which in a way, was the true birth of the Amreican Army, For it was the first time U.S. Regulars had met and broke a Bayonet charge in true Napoleonic fashion agaisnt True regulars, Spawning the phrase from the British commander, "Those are Regulars By God!" So, my question is this, how exactly is this feat portrayed in popular British history? I also have a random somewhat flippent question. How do you think the out come of the battle would differ if Wellington Had opposed General Scott on July 5th, 1814 on the Banks of the Chippewa river? I was just wondering about your personal thoughts and if you could help, and to let you know that I will always be a fan from here on out. Thank you for your wonderful masterpiece that is the Sharpes Series. Brandon

Mr Cornwell, Since having read your first Sharpes novel back in 1996, I decided to really get into the series last month (June), and so I ended up purchasing and reading the rest of the series. All I can say is that the books aren't nearly thick enough. I feel as though I were a man who had gone into the desert without water and suddenly happened on and oasis but because I was so very thirsty I drank up all the water and could still not get enough. There is one area of his (Sharpes) life that I feel needed more coverage and that is the period of time during which he joins the Rifles and undergoes their training. In Sharpes prey, there is some mention of certain individuals and how Sharpe gets on their bad side, yet nothing precedes that. Perhaps a book devoted to the time after Trafalgar and before Prey would serve to give us some coverage of that time when he arrives at the 95th rifle Regiments headquarters and then encompass those conflicts between himself and his fellow officers and subordinates. Is their a chance you will do a book about that era? Fred Mannheim

I just finished the three Derfel books and I just loved them, my boyfriend even named his new kitten Derfel. I was just wondering, all through the three books the different Pagan Gods, Goddess, Rituals and sometimes Lamets - I want to know more about all the pagan things, and I'm just wondering were there any websites that were really good that you went to, or any books you read that were really informational? I just want to learn more, thank you Sarah