Your Questions

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I love your Saxon novels and just finished reading Gallow's Thief. What are the chances of you witing a story about Jack Hood, the Highwayman? Thank you! Wendy

Submitted May 3, 2007

A

The highwaymen are a good subject, but it's not in my plans at the moment.

Q

I have thoroughly enjoyed your writing, for example the Sharpe series, and would like to read a book or two from the author or authors that inspired your writing in order to further enhance my appreciation of your novels. Could you give me some names? Many thanks, Ivor

Submitted May 3, 2007

A

The inspiration for the Sharpe series came from reading C. S. Forester's Hornblower series as a child. If you haven't read them, I recommend you do!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell. I just finished your third book in the Saxon Tales; I read all three within a week and it's been a while since I've been that drawn to a fictional series and much thanks for the pleasure you provided. One question though; did you ever serve in the military? You seem to be speaking (or writing) from direct experience. Craig M.

Submitted May 3, 2007

A

Never. I tried to get in when I was 17 or 18, but I'm blind as a bat (short-sighted) and they'd only offer me a job in the Pay Corps - which is very honourable, but I wanted to be slaughtering Frogs so I turned it down. Ah well.

Q

Hello, Let me start by saying your Warlord Trilogy is some of the finest reading I've ever encountered!I am currently reading your Saxon Stories and they're shaping up to be another favorite of mine!I was wondering if you could tell me when The Lords Of the North will be released in trade paperback( in the US?) Regards, David Watts

Submitted May 3, 2007

A

HarperCollins, US hasn't set a publication date for the paperback (as far as I know), but generally it comes out one year after the hardback, so I would look for it around Christmas time.

Q

Dear Bernard, In regards to your Viking novels is there any chance of Alfred becoming a bit more likable? He come across as such an ungrateful person (Uthred lost his son because of him and Alfred seems to react as though it was not more than Uthred losing piece of furniture) and seems hard to imagine him ever earning the title "the great".

btw ever any chance of Uhtred ever getting to North America and the Viking settlements there? There was a film out recently of Vikings fighting American Indians (cannot remember name)and it must of happened, any chance Uthred getting involved???

And in regards to Sharpe between the books Sword and Enemy the Siege of Burgos happened which could be called Wellington's (And Sharpe's as well????) one real defeat in Spain, I wondered if you were tempted to get Major Dulong there and give Sharpe some payback for what happened in Havoc??????? Anyway regards Geraint

Submitted May 1, 2007

A

No one earns the title 'the Great' by being nice, but by being effective, and he was. And I'm sure Alfred was extremely nice to those he lied (especially if they shared his religion), but part of the point of the stories is that he and Uhtred don't get along - they're just lumbered with each other.

No chance whatsoever! Sorry! But the underlying story of Uhtred is the making of England as a nation, and sending him off to Vinland is one voyage too far!

Who knows? I haven't got there yet (in the second Sharpe series) so Sharpe might well end up there. I honestly don't know!

Q

Hi Bernard, just a quick grammatical question for you to clarify an ambiguity. . . >From reading the many posts on your site - I noticed contributors often replace apostrophe and quotation marks with a "square type" symbol. I have never seen the mark anywhere else and wondered if you know where it originates or if it has any name or grammatical origin in the written use of English? Martin Parfitt

Submitted May 1, 2007

A

I think it's the computer converting marks into html. It's certainly not part of any punctuation scheme! A conversion problem - that's all!

Q

Sir, Just finished reading Lords of the North and enjoyed it very much. I definitely will be looking for the first two books in the series. One question, I was wondering about the warrior armbands. Can you explain about them? What did they look like? Thanks Ed Fisher

Submitted May 1, 2007

A

The arm rings are thick bracelets - you can see them in museums - usually silver - and there's a variety of styles - some are thick and flat, others resemble torques, all kinds! They were used as boasts of wealth as well as for currency. Some, the best, were highly decorated. Any decent book on the Vikings should have some in the illustrations!

Q

I have just finished the last Sharpe book (Sharpe's Christmas) and I was just wondering whatever happened to Rifleman Harris because he just sort of disappeared towards the end. Dan Hagman was there at Waterloo while Harris wasn't. I was just wondering if he ending up living happily ever after?
Tom Owen

Submitted May 1, 2007

A

He was actually invented by the film people and I slipped him into some of the novels written after the TV films were made - so he hadn't been thought of when I wrote Sharpe's Waterloo. In the film he dies at Waterloo, so I suspect that's his fate!

Q

Hello Mr Cornwell. I hear that you are paying us a visit during the Borders Book Festival later this year. What an ideal opportunity to to Visit Hermitage Castle and the Centre of Reiver country-the History and characters are crying out for a writer of your talents to bring them back to life!! Ps. if you are a golfer I would be delighted to invite you to play on Hawick Golf course?? Lords of the North was Superb!! Craig

Submitted April 30, 2007

A

Thanks for the comment on Lords of the North! Golf? I'm not old enough to play, sorry. I will be at Melrose in June, but it's going to be an incredibly fleeting visit, though I promise I will try to get to Hermitage Castle! Thanks.

Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell. In response to the letter on the 24th- who said, of his signing bonus, that '90% will go on whiskey and women, the other 10% I'll probably waste.' That was Philly's own beloved Tug McGraw- and a great quote it is.

While I have your attention, let me ask if you had a chance to read the new Robert Fagles 'Translation of the Aeneid'? I know it's not your period in terms of writing- but it seems that "national epic,heroic poetry" is a distant ancestor of the stories you tell of Sharpe, Starbuck and the rest. I sometimes go through the new translations looking for interesting verbs, making lists of them, so that I may incorporate them back into my own work,. Ever do that? You have a great command of action verbs-that's why I ask. Anyway, Cheers! R. Kulb

Submitted April 30, 2007

A

Thank you! I love it! Tug McGraw for President, please.

I haven't, but I'll look for it.

No, but it's an interesting idea!