Your Questions

Q

Any chance of a series on a figure like Brian Boru or possibly even Finn MaCool? I just finished The Grail Quest, Stonehenge and The Arthur Books and I just can't get enough of these types of tales. Congratulations, and thank you. You're the best at what you do. Prior to reading your books, if someone told me you'd supplant Morgan Llywellyn and Mary Stewart as my favorite authors, I'd have called them crazy. Brett P. Morrical

Submitted November 15, 2004

A

Not really. I honestly think an Irish writer would do it better, so I'll leave it to them.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, Firstly, I don't mean to offend you with this question, it really is meant sincerely! Do you think that writing so many books with a violent theme has affected your personality? Has it made you feel more violent (maybe on the inside) having to get into the mindset of Sharpe and so many other characters, good and bad, which you do so very well! May I ask, did you experince violence in the past, for example have you been in the army? As I noticed with myself, reading all your Sharpe books it has made me myself feel a more violent person than I was before, which scares me! Timothy

Submitted November 15, 2004

A

No! Writing murder stories hasn't turned P.D.James into a murderess (so far as I know), and I am universally celebrated for the sweetness of my disposition. I think if you feel too violent after reading Sharpe then a quick corrective course of reading Alexander McCall Smith's wondrous series about Precious Ramotse (The Kalahari Typing School for Men, etc etc) will put all to rights.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I am in the process of reading Redcoat -an excellent book! I particularly like Vane's transformation from nice guy to villian. I was wondering, what regiments were Vane, Sam et al in? Also, in Sharpe there are constant references to the "Horse Guards" that seem to run the army. Do you mean the Regiment The Royal Horse Guards, aka "The Blues" (where the modern blues and royals come from) were in control of the army? One Regiment in charge of others? Would that have led to bias? Also, why do your characters not hold the cavalry in very high esteem, did the cavalry feel the same about the infantry? Yours, with best wishes, Mickey O'Donohoe

Submitted November 15, 2004

A

I can't remember which regiment Sam was in, and I suspect that I never specified it so that I wouldn't be trapped by a real regiment's history. No doubt, if I'm wrong, someone will correct me. The Horse Guards is a building on Whitehall - it is part of the Ministry of Defence, but in Sharpe's time was the headquarters of the army - when you see the Trooping of the Colour in London it takes place on the Horse Guards Parade ground - and the phrase 'from the horse's mouth' means the orders have come from the very top - nothing to do with the Blues and Royals! Why do my characters not like cavalry? Because in the Peninsular War the cavalry were, as Wellington noted, fairly useless (except for his Germans) - and the poor bloody infantry, as usual, did the work.

Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell! I am a great fan of your Sharpe series. There is just one question on my mind. What happens to Mary Bickerstaff in "Sharpe's Tiger"? Frank

Submitted November 15, 2004

A

Whatever you want. I'm sure she lived happily ever after.

Q

Bernard, I have just finished The Last Kingdom, what a great book, I can't wait to read the rest. My question, you said that you were related to the people at Bamburgh, did you find research that far back difficult? My surname is unusual and is believed to be mentioned in a form in the Anglo Saxon chronicle, what are my real chances of getting back that far? Thank you again for your books they are great, Billy Hounsome

Submitted November 15, 2004

A

Probably depends how well your ancestors recorded their lineage! I'm lucky - someone in my family did all the work, so I didn't need do any myself.

Q

Just read the advance readers version of your latest book. Haven't read anything as good since "Below the Salt". Hope to see more soon . Have read many other historicals with shield Wall battle scenes but you put us there in the wall and the tactics of the wall are inspired and exhilarating. Stole my copy from a book store, how do I get on the advance readers list? Tim Gunning

Submitted November 15, 2004

A

You don't! The advance copies are sent to the trade, so my best advice is to go on stealing.

Q

What happened to Antonia (Sharpe's daughter) and Jane (his wife)? they seem to have fallen off the world in later books after Waterloo. Are there any plans for more movies about Richard Sharpe? My wife and I just watched all 14 DVDs for about the third time. Sandy Friedlander

Submitted November 9, 2004

A

Antonia? She lived happily ever after, I'm sure. Jane? Most likely nothing good at all. There is some talk of a new Sharpe film, but nothing is definite yet. We'll keep you posted!

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I noticed a couple of slip-ups in 'The Last Kingdom,' one is on the first page of Chapter 6, I forget where I saw the others. It appears that 'Alfred' becomes 'Arthur,' does this mean that your mind dwells on the warlord chronicles and that you want to bring the series back as much as we want you to?! Kind Regards, Dan

Submitted November 9, 2004

A

You're absolutely right. What's truly annoying is that I found those errors before the book was printed, let the publishers know, but they were all off to a long lunch or something, so they slipped through the (usually very good) net. It's still my fault, of course. I think when I hit the capital A the mind takes over - I do the same thing when writing Starbuck and have to go through the chapter changing 'Sharpe' to 'Starbuck'. I'd love to write more of Arthur, but alas, the series is finished!

Q

I've just finished reading 'The Last Kingdom' and I loved everypage. As a resident of Nottingham I'd never previously heard of the viking siege here. Can you suggest further reading so I can find out more. How many books are you planning in this series. I've read the book you're currently working on is the follow up to 'The Last Kingdom' which won't be out till next October. Aren't you planning an April release for next year. I've been used to two books a year from you. Thanks Dan Taylor

Submitted November 9, 2004

A

The books mentioned in the Historical Note ought to give you a starting point - or your local library? I have some unpublished archaological papers on Snotengaham's early history, so perhaps I drew some stuff from there - but your library ought to have some excellent local histories. Don't know right now how many books will make up this series. And - sorry! - I am not planning a release for April of next year.

Q

How about Brian Boru, The Wallace, or the Bruce? David

Submitted November 9, 2004

A

How about them indeed?