Your Questions

Q

Dear Bernard, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm currently writing a bit of a sci-fi story, or at least I was. I'm not expecting it to be published or anything, it's just that I'd really like to finish it. The problem is I've barely started it, and I'm already lacking inspiration to write it. I like my ideas; I'm just finding writing it to be a bit of a bugger. I was wondering if you have any advice on that? I'm still only 18, so maybe I just can't hack it yet. But on a lighter note, I have a few questions. Did you ever receive professional criticism from someone you admired? JK Rowling (my favourite author next to you!) said she had, and it was a big blow. Also did you ever find you needed a specific confidence to write about characters like Wellington who actually existed and may not have done the things they did in your books? All of my Thanks, James Trethowan

Submitted September 14, 2004

A

I can't remember receiving criticism from anyone I admired, but I can imagine it would be upsetting - though if anyone did offer professional criticism to J.K. Rowling I'd think they were either jealous or idiotic. A specific confidence? Foolhardiness, perhaps. And at the back of my Wellington is a lifetime's reading and admiration of the man, and I suppose that helps. For writing tips you may want to take a look at the writing advice posted to this website (go to the FAQ page, scroll down to the last listing, and click on the link for 'writing advice'). Good luck!

Q

Dear Bernard, Recently read two of your 'stand alone' novels in Redcoat and Gallows Thief and have to say they are up there with my favourites. I think I discovered two of your best characters in these books for different reaons. In Redcoat Kit Vane has got be the one of the most loathsome characters you've ever written probably worse than Hakeswill because it seems Hakeswill was just born that way whereas Vane should just know better. In Gallows Thief of course it has to be Rider Sandman a totally top bloke. I'd like to add my name to the list of people clamouring for another Sandman novel but if this is not possible what are the chances of Sandman making a cameo appearance in A Sharpe novel, no matter how brief. Sandman was at Waterloo and I'm guessing in the army a few years before that so is it a possibility? I think it would be a great idea. Many thanks. Paul

Submitted September 14, 2004

A

So do I, and he has, though I don't name him - but he's the lieutenant who talks cricket to the poor French captured officer in Sharpe's Escape.

Q

Hi. I am a huge fan of your books. They're great! I haven't read them all, as I haven't had the time. I have only read a few of the Sharpe books (Sharpe's Tiger being my favorite) Harlequin, Stonehenge and the Arthur trilogy. I have noticed that in the latter three, that there is a common occurrence. The main character falls in love with a woman, then something happens to that woman, and the main character finds another woman. Do you do this deliberately, or is it a subconscious thing? Thanks. Ben Owen

Submitted September 14, 2004

A

Absolutely subconscious. And I realise, to my chagrin, that it's happening in the book I'm writing right now. Oh well.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I found Harlequin by chance in Finland three years ago and loved it. They are rarely in book stores here in Finland. Then in the Summer of 2003 I found the sequence when vacationing in Dublin and the I just had to go to Amazon to start ordering your books and have read many after that. I'm now reading the Sharpe series, real page-turners and am happy that I have found this series so late, that I have been able to read them in chronological order, even Sharpe's Escape. I have a comment: I'm wondering about the lines of Torres Vedra. How could they be built so they stayed a secret for the French with all their spies. They must have had a lot of sympathizers in Lisbon, who could have let the French now. If 10.000 people worked a year on this project it is very unlikely that news of it would not have reached the other side. Or perhaps the French thought it to be just a couple of towers as Major Ferreira says in Sharpe's Escape. Bad evaluation of incoming information. Keep on writing and I'll keep on reading. Regards, Kimmo Stjärnstedt

Submitted September 13, 2004

A

But how much incoming information did the French have? They were hated in Portugal and I doubt they had many sympathisers behind the British lines, and it would have been difficult to cross those lines, through partisan infested countryside, to carry the news to the French who, like it or not, were absolutely astonished by the existence of the lines. So, likely or not, it seemed they did stay a secret.

Q

I´m the biggest fan of yours here in Brazil. I like your books very much and how you describe that time, the wars and the passions of that time. For me you are a perfect author ... Congratulations for your books because they are perfect and I hope you can write forever, with the same love that you use in your books. I want to know what you think about king Arthur´s movie? Paola

Hi, I'm a big fan of your books, especially the Arthur series. I would like to ask you what do you think about the film just released. Many things are different and I don't know if they have distorted all the story to make the film or if there is something true in it. Thank you for your time. Stefano

Submitted September 13, 2004

A

Sorry, I haven't seen the movie and don't plan to.

Q

Hi, Just wondered if you had ever considered giving permission for a computer game based on the Sharpe series? I would certainly like to follow in Sharpe's footsteps through the Napoleonic wars. Could any of the other people reading this column recommend any PC games based on the Napoleonic wars? Many thanks for the hours of enjoyment, Neil

Submitted September 13, 2004

A

Take a look at the Reading Club page of this website for recommendations - I believe a PC game is listed there (Waterloo - Napoleon's Last Battle).

Q

Hello again, Have now just finished Richard Sharpe's Indian adventures. They were made even more vivid by the photographs of the battle sites you have posted on the website. Fantastic! Do you have any pictures of the battle sites from the Peninsular Campaigns? Or are the sites now changed beyond all recognition? Many thanks again for the great books. Neil

Hi Bernard, Forgot to ask another important question! You mention somewhere on the website that the actor who originally was going to play Sharpe in the TV series was injured and so had to be replaced by Sean Bean. I was wondering who the original actor was? Anyone we'd know? Regards, Neil

Submitted September 10, 2004

A

It's really for reasons of space why we don't put pictures of the peninsular sites on the website - and there are so many of them. Most of the battlefields haven't changed, and they're very picturesque, but there are plenty of published sources where you can find such pictures - whereas pics of the Indian sites are hard to come by. Jac Weller's Wellington in the Peninsula has good pictures, as does the indispensable Wellington's Peninsular War by Julian Paget - and there's Fields of Fire, by Ian Fletcher.

Paul McGann.

Q

Hi I was just wondering which Sharpe book comes after Eagle as I would like to read them in chronological order but am slightly confused as in the front of the books it says Escape comes next, but on the website it says Gold comes next so I would be grateful if you could sort this confusion out. Cheers, Toby

Submitted September 10, 2004

A

Sorry for your confusion! Click onto the Sharpe books page of this website where you will find all the Sharpe books listed in chronological order ('Sharpe's Gold' does come after 'Sharpe's Eagle' - 'Sharpe's Escape' follows 'Sharpe's Gold'). I hope you'll enjoy the books!

Q

DEAR MR. CORNWELL, I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE SHARPE SERIES BY MY BROTHER A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND HAVE BEEN A HUGE FAN EVER SINCE. QUITE HONESTLY I WASN'T VERY INTERESTED AT FIRST UNTIL MY BROTHER INDICATED THAT SHARPE REMINDED HIM OF ME. NOT SURE WHY! ANYWAY, MY QUESTION IS THIS: I FIND MANY CHARACTERS IN YOUR NOVELS VERY INTERESTING, ESPECIALLY THE NONFICTION VARIETY. I FIND SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY ONE OF THE MORE FASCINATING PEOPLE I HAVE EVER READ ABOUT AND FIND MYSELF ADMIRING THIS MAN VERY MUCH. CAN YOU RECOMMEND A BOOK THAT TELLS MORE ABOUT WELLESLEY? HIS MEMOIRS? ALSO, I REALIZE THAT RICHARD SHARPE IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER, BUT IS THERE ANYONE WHO PARALLELS THIS CHARACTER AND HIS ADVENTURES EVEN IN THE SLIGHTEST? IF SO, I WOULD LIKE TO READ ABOUT THIS NONFICTION PERSON AS WELL. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL BOOKS. LOVE ALL YOUR CHARACTERS AND THE WONDERFUL DESCRIPTIONS OF THEM AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACHOTHER. ESPECIALLY SHARPE AND HARPER. WHAT AN AWESOME PAIR AND SO BELIEVABLE. SINCERELY, RYAN HIGGINBOTHAM

About two months ago, I came across an intro offer on Sharpe's Eagle. I took it up, and enjoyed it immensely. I have been mulling over checking out your books for some time, but no longer reading fiction, I passed them by. Since that first book, I have read six more. My question is about Wellington, was he much like your portrait of him, in style, demeanor, and tone? I am referring to his personal character, not just his military skill. Moreover, were you to go into Barnes and Noble, or Borders, and looking for a biography on Wellington, there are not many to select from. But were you to check out Bonaparte, there are many selections, and most of them are recent publications. To what do you account for the discrepancy? Kind of odd, so much on Bonaparte, little of Wellington? What is the best bio to explore his full career, including India? I would love to know. Thanks, and keep up the excellent work. I hope you are hard at it, someone so talented has no business doing anything but WRITING! Dan McCuen, Esquire

Submitted September 10, 2004

A

I'd like to think the portrait is pretty accurate, but I would, wouldn't I? I think it probably makes sense that Napoleon takes up so much more shelf-space - after all Napoleon had a much greater effect on history than Wellington. I always recommend three biographies, conveniently all three are called Wellington, so that's easy. Elizabeth Longford's is terrific, hugely readable, but fairly old now. Recently Christopher Hibbert, who is always readable, published a one volume life, and then there's the incomparable Richard Holmes, though his biography concentrates much more on the military years and gives short shrift to the Duke's political career. All three are good though!

Q

Hi Bernard I am rereading Excalibur and am loving it. When Cerdic's spearmen row away they sing a song that repeats the word "hwaet" - for your mom, for your girl, etc. What does it mean? Thanks, James

Submitted September 10, 2004

A

The word is really an exclamation drawing attention to what follows, a sort of 'pay attention now' word - "Lo' 'Behold'. It's the first word of the great poem Beowulf. It could also mean 'sharp', 'brisk' and brave'. A sort of all purpose word, but my guess is that Cerdic's speramen were using it as a vulgarity.