Your Questions

Q

Hi, Mr Cornwell, I'll keep this short because I'm sure you must get loads of fanmail. My name is Tom Smith and I'm 18 years old and I love your books! But they're also really annoying because I finish them and I want to know how they would carry on! So what happens after the Authur Trilogy? What happens to Derfel and Ceinwyn? Who then rules Dumnonia? What happens to Gwydre and Morwenna? Sorry about all the questions but I need some answers. Please carry on writing, Thank you, Tom Smith

Dear Bernard, a couple of my friends at uni are devout Sharpe fans and we were wondering if are there any plans to make the 'missing' Sharpe's into film at present? Also if you were to consider the Warlord and Grail Quests being made, who would you like to see playing the roles of Derfel, Arthur, Thomas of Hookton and Guy Vexille respectively? And what happens to Derfel in the end? that was one thing I was looking forward to finding out other than Arthur's fate? Regards Phil Lohse

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

I left the ending to the reader - which is not very nice of me, but there it is.

See the posting on 7 June for the update on another Sharpe film. And, fortunately, it is not up to me to cast the parts - I'll leave that to the experts!

Q

Hello Bernard, Forgive me for not going through the usual 'hero worship' I expect most mesages to you receive start of like that LOL! Myself and my eldest son, Gareth (who is a serving soldier stationed in Germany, soon to go to Iraq...'again') both read as much of your works as we can....Sharpe especially! Two questions... First....British Redcoats and trousers! In the Peninsular when did white trousers give way to grey...or is there a much more logical answer? Secondly....Overall, the opinion of the French due to the war waged on the Spanish is far from complimentary....have you had any messages of reproof from disgruntled French readers? keep up the good work, Ken Bamford. PS. Will Sharpe ever get to America?

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

The answer is that they wore both - depending on their battalion - white or 'buff', but most of the time on campaign they were just plain dirty, and so patched with local cloth that they looked brown. Grey is often used by contemporaries to describe the breeches, which is probably a polite word for scruffy and filthy.

Not one, so far . . . .

If you read Sharpe's Siege you will understand why Richard Sharpe does not get to America.

Q

First In reply to the gentleman with reccomendation. Thank you. I did try Urban's book but sadly it does miss New Orleans as well as Barossa and the Beunos Aires expedition. Shame! Second to Bernard in regards to your Starbuck series Copperhead ends at Gaines Mill. Do you have any plans to go back and write about the rest of the 7 days including Malvern Hill???? Also in your reply posted on May 12th about getting Stabuck to Chickamauga please change your mind. It was considered the soldiers battle of the US civil war and would be literary crime if Starbuck was not to get there. Especially with people like Forrest/Cleburne/Longstreet/Hood and Thomas/Granger and Sheridan who were involved in that fight. Also have you read Jefferey Dwert's biography of James Longstreet, if not I can recommend it??? Geraint

Mr. Cornwell, I was wondering if lately you've thought about starting up the Starbuck Chronicles again. I would sure like to read the continuing adventures. Joshua Ladwig

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

I have thought of it, and I do plan to get back to Starbuck one day, but it's not likely to happen soon. I haven't read the biography of James Longstreet - you can recommend it, and thank you - it's on the list now.

Q

Absolutely love the Sharpe books and am collecting the series as fast as I can. Also love your other books. Do you do your own research? I don't know how you have time to write so many brilliant books as well as research!
Jennifer Richardson

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

Thank you for your kind words Jennifer. Yes, I do my own research.

Q

Hello Bernard, As an avid reader of your books, I was delighted to find an article about yourself in today's (8 June 2005) Guardian Newspaper. It was extremely interesting, and put me in mind to ask if you have ever considered writing an autobiography? I am sure many of your readers would be delighted at such a prospect. Keep up the good work. Regards, Nathan Ling, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex.

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

Thank you - but I have never really been tempted to write my autobiography. I don't want to relive my childhood, that's for sure. I think the most you're going to get are the seven pages in a forthcoming book, Family Wanted, edited by Sara Holloway, and published in July in the UK by Granta Books. I open the batting with a memoir called Cakes and Ale, but it is only seven pages!

Q

Mr. Cornwell, A Few More Questions... 1. I've read that C.S.Forester was a huge inspiration for you in creating Sharpe, but I was wondering if you were also familiar with the works of P.C. Wren; specifically his famous novel "Beau Geste"? I ask because some of the concepts in the book like the sadistic sergeant, the warring tribes and the lost sultan's treasure seem to echo in your excellent India trilogy as well. 2. What are some of your favorite paintings/painters from the Napoleonic period? I ask because I recently tracked down Haythornthwaite's wonderful "Napoleonic Source Book" and it is bursting with many fine and vivid paintings and drawings of the period. Do you ever use paintings to inspire you to write or understand more clearly what was going on? In your experience, are any of the paintings really accurate or are they mostly overly romanticized? 3. Ever thought about writing of the Zulu War? Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Ulundi etc..probably alot of vertile story ground. 4. Have you read the recently translated novel "Captain Alatriste" by Spanish writer Arturo Perez-Reverte? If so what did you think of it? 5.What do you think is more likely to happen first- you publishing another Starbuck Chronicle or one of your books being selected for Oprah's Book Club? ..thanks again for your time, professionalism and excellent work. R.Kulb Phila. PA

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

1. I know of the novel, but confess I've never read it. I suppose certain themes like lost treasure and sadistic sergeants are constants in historical adventure fiction.

2. I probably use the paintings of Charles Hamilton Smith most - which were published by Greenhill with a text by Philip Haythornthwaite (Wellington's Army, 2002). I use those paintings (and of course those by Dighton) for uniforms, but I don't think I use them much to discover what was going on in battle - mainly because the painters were forced to leave out most of the smoke! Otherwise they'd all look like early impressionists. Probably the most useful book I use is Military Dress of the Peninsular War by Martin Windrow and Gerry Embleton which was published (don't know when) by Ian Allan - my copy is so ancient that it long ago fell apart and the remnants, minus the copyright page, are in a three ring binder which is itself now falling apart. I'm not sure the paintings are over-romanticised (though some undoubtedly are), but the painters needed patrons and you wouldn't make a living by including too many guts strewn across the ground or by depicting chaos (the patrons had to look as if they knew what they were doing which, in many cases, they did.) The painting was a celebration of victory and heroism, not a record of horror - though there are exceptions - Goya, of course, and General Lejeune's great painting of the capture of the Convent of Saint Engracia in Saragossa.

3. I've thought about it, but I don't think it's going to happen. Too many other things I've thought more about!

4. I haven't read it, but I do like Arturo Perez-Reverte's books, so I undoubtedly will read it.

5. I think hell willl freeze over and pigs will soar like eagles before Oprah selects one of my books!

Q

Dear sir, 4 questions regarding Sharpe!! - Do you have any idea why the head of intelligence changed for every series of 3 in the tv series? Which was your favourite 1? I'm torn between Hogan and Munro - as I found their wit very good and very similar!! When will the next Sharpe book be released/finished? What part of the war will it be set? As I'm sure you can tell I'm a huge Sharpe fan - just wish they'd make either 1 last programme or better still a big budget movie of him!! That would be something to see - even if god forbid it did not feature Sean Bean etc!! Thank you for your time and more so for your gift to the world sir!! Lee

Submitted June 9, 2005

A

Because actors aren't always available - and I think it was as simple as that - new actor, new character.

Comparisons are odious, aren't they? I liked them both.

The next Sharpe book will probably be released in the spring of 2007 and will follow on (I hope) from Sharpe's Escape.

Q

This is a silly question but perhaps one that will reveal a lot of queries. In my opinion, the problem with your stories is that there are lots of different series and not enough Bernard Cornwell to write them all. People inevitably have favourites, so one of the problems is people who like series such as Sharpe are spoiled in books, whilst Starbuck followers are starved. So let's say somebody managed to create two Bernard Cornwell clones. And thus, there was a lot more opportunity to have more Bernard Cornwell Books available. So the question is, which books would crop up, considering there's a lot more time? Would you take the chance to write Starbuck (I haven't got round to reading them yet, but I know from this website lots of people have been waiting!) again? Would you just concentrate on one series? Like Uhtred chronicles? Or would you live you to expectations and write about Robin Hood (which I believe is not far off from your destiny)? Thank you for your time. =) James Trethowan

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

One is enough (ask my wife). I suppose what would be written would be what is going to be written, but if I had twice as much time then yes, I would restart the Starbuck series, though for the moment I'm concentrating pretty hard on the Alfred books.

Q

Hi. I have a quick question for you. Do you think you'll ever write a novel series based during the American Revolutionary War? Brian Denney

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

I don't think there'll be a series, though I am planning a single further novel - whether I'll ever get round to writing it is another matter . . . .

Q

Hi Bernard, cool stories. Are the deities in Stonehenge real in the sense that they were worhsipped at that time? Where did you find their names? Lee

Submitted June 7, 2005

A

We don't have any idea what deities were worshipped at the time of Stonehenge - we don't know their names, or anything else about them, mainly, of course, because the folk back then hadn't developed writing and so left us no records to decipher. It seems more than reasonable, however, to assume that they associated major celestial phenomena (sun, moon, major stars) with their gods and goddesses, and we can deduce that from the orientation of their monuments. A good book on this is John North - Stonehenge and the Neolithic Cosmos.