Your Questions

Q

Bernard

Your Arthurian Series and Last Kingdom Series have rekindled my enthusiasm for reading. Thank you so much. I wanted to ask if you felt you had any latent material pertaining to more recent periods in history? WW II for example? The era could do with the Cornwell treatment.

Ed Sexton

 

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

I prefer to stick with the more distant past!

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell,

I'm a keen reader of your books (Sharpe particularly) and also of C S Forester's Hornblower novels. Since reading your introduction to recent editions of 'Hornblower and the Atropos' it has been a recurring idea of mine that the missing pages of 'Hornblower and the crisis' as written by your good self would be well worth reading. I can think of no other author who is so qualified to complete Forester's last work and I hope that you might consider it for a possible future project.

With best wishes and thanks for a great many happy hours following Richard Sharpe on his adventures,

David Roskelly

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

Thank you - but I think the copyright difficulties would prevent it,

Q

Hi

An avid reader of yours since Sharpe series

When is next book please?

Peter

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

I am currently writing a book (not a Sharpe book) - hopefully it will be ready for publication later this year,

Q

thank you so much for the Sharpe books I love them all ! would have loved to have read about Sharpe in Canada /usa about 1812  , again thank you sir

eamonn

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

Sorry, Sharpe will not go to North America - he made a promise (in Sharpe's Siege).

Q

Would love to purchase a boxed set of entire Sharpe series.  Are there any plans for your publisher to re-publish the series as such???

Rolland Oneill

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

It's possible....maybe once the series is complete?

Q

Mr Cornwell,

Big fan for years and was reading your books 20 years ago when I was a soldier in the British Army I think this may be interesting to review, Sharpe joining Up, Brutal training of the period,the 33rd were in Flanders so maybe something around the battle of Boxtel?

It would give the reader also a view of a young Arthur Wellesley from the private soldiers point of view , I'm sure you could fit in some fantastic sub plot for a young Richard Sharpe and it will give you the opportunity to resurrect Sergeant Hakeswill (nothing beats a sadistic NCO !) Regards Matt P.S. I ask nothing more than a bottle of Bushmills should you be successful with this idea.

Matthew Eaton

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

I'm not inclined to take Sharpe back in time again...but never say never.  Perhaps a short story one day?

 

 

 

Q

I just finished The Empty Throne and had a quick question about Uhtred's wound.  Perhaps I missed something, but was this wound just an infection from the cut and from the cow manure, and how was repiercing his side a cure.  I realize that 1000 years ago an infection was something very serious, but I was unsure if it was something more.  You alluded in the post-script to it being remotely possible to cure this way, but I was hoping for a little bit of clarity.  I haven't read any of your other book series, but I really enjoy the tales of Uhtred. Thanks.

Brad Capstick

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

I refer you to my medical adviser who, unlike me, is a doctor!  And yes, a bad wound could lead to infection, but not necessarily.  At the battle of Quatre Bras in 1815 Ensign Christie took (I think) 22 wounds, including a lance through the eye that emerged in his mouth, and he survived and, frankly, medical knowledge of infection was no more advanced in 1815 than in 815!  They did have some remedies that were surprisingly effective - spider-webs on a wound is one, and it works (to an extent).  But it was really a question of luck whether a wound went gangrenous or not.

 

 

Q

I have been reading you books for 35 years. I buy used British Versions on Ebay before the American version is released. I need more Books. I don't like other authors.

I believe you have unpublished Sharpe and Grail Quest Books and hopefully Uthred written awaiting beneficial contract timelines. When you die, hopefully not before 2035, will those unpublished books be printed quickly or continue annually like Mark Twain for 100 years?

Please release more Sharpe Novels, while I can still visit Spain, Portugal and France. I don't want to go the Belgium tho. If you release a couple more Uhtred novels and I'll even visit England. Thank-you

Mitchell C Johnson

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

Sorry to disappoint, but I do not have any unpublished manuscripts waiting to be published after my demise!

Q

Hi Mr Cornwell,

I am writing to you to let you know how very much I have enjoyed reading every book you have ever written. In particularly The Last Kingdom series, for which I have a couple of questions... 1: How long does it take you to research the subject matter before you feel you are ready to put pen to paper and start writing the stories? 2: Do you ever try to visit the sites of the battlefields that you write about or do you research the relevant info for the specific battles through the internet,etc?

 

I would also like to say that the Stonehenge story you wrote seems probably the BEST answer I have seen as to the question... Who built Stonehenge and why?

 

Please keep up the brilliant work, and please let me know when a new title will be appearing soon so that I can keep an eye out for it. Many thanks for unknowingly providing me with many many hours of enjoyment reading your books.

 

Best Wishes

 

Nick Lambert

Submitted March 2, 2017

A

I'm continually research - if not for the book I'm currently writing, then for the one I'll write next, or that I'll write a year or two from now.  I've been reading history since I was a child and all that reading contributes to what I do. However - when thinking about a new book I'll spend some months (or more!) reading in a very concentrated way, though how long and how much depends on the book.  I always try to  visit the sites in my books.  Often things are very changed, but all sorts of detail emerge from those visits, and I think it's important to see the land as they saw it and to imagine their feelings as they looked on that landscape.

 

 

Q

Hello Bernard,

 

I’m a huge fan of yours from Lombardy (which is mentioned in Heretic!), and also a dedicated history lover. My focus is mostly on the medieval period, and the combat and warfare of that era especially; after reading (so far) 14 of your books I am already looking into periods you seem not to have blessed with your work yet. The question is, which one is the most likely and least likely of the following periods to get your attention for a new novel series:

 

-the Norman conquest and the subsequent decades (I know you said you weren't interested many times before) -the period of Richard I ‘Lionheart’ and/or the first crusades -13th century England (the scot and welsh revolts)

 

And how likely will the most likely of these three actually get a novel set on it?

 

I know you can’t reveal much about your future projects and works, but I appreciate any attempt at giving a honest and useful answer! Thank you in advance!

Milo

Submitted March 1, 2017

A

Sorry!  Not very likely to all three!