Your Questions

Thank you for letting us contact you directly, and so easily. I just finished reading (actually listening to) The Bloody Ground. As an aside, my wife and I have an on-going debate. I say that a book listened to is a book read--just as if it were read in Braille, but she says that it doesn't count as a book that has been read. I've also read the first three volumes in the Starbuck series, and was looking forward to the next volume. So, I went to the library, but there does not seem to be another book in the series. So, I'm writing to ask if there is a fifth volume, and I'm just missing it; or, if so far, that's it. If that's it, are you planning another story in the series? I vote yes, if I get a vote. Can't let Billy Bligh get away. In any event, you've given me an exceptionally enjoyable reading (listening (?)) experience. Thanks again.
Nate Edelstein

I've read everything you've written, as far as I know and simply wanted to say you're the BEST, and that's from a historical fiction maniac. Which are your favorite authors aside from the obvious. Steve

Dear Mr Cornwell, Firstly I would like to congratulate you on your latest release, The Last Kingdom. It is so wonderful to read suc a great book, knowing it is the first in what will undoubtedly be a fantatic series. I would be very interested to know you opinion on a debate that seems ongoing between myself and a few friends. Do you feel the Sharpe books are best read in chronological order of publication, or in order of the dates in the stories themselves? We normally come to the concclusion they should be read in release date order, but I notice on your site you list them in Sharpe's year order. Is this how you would advise them to be read? Many thanks, Matt

Hi, I'm from Brazil, and here you only have six books at the bookstores, so I want to know what are these 'Sharpe books' and if you are going to write some other great and long story like 'the Grail Quest' and 'the Arthur books'. I really appreciate your books, and you are my favorite writer...but I also love the Tolkien books.Thanks for the attention and sorry for the terrible english. Rodrigo

Dear Mr Cornwell I'm interested to note that someone recently asked whether you had considered writing about the Duke of Marlborough's campaigns in the same way as you've written about Wellington's campaigns through Sharpe and you said you had thought about it. I really hope you do because I'd love to learn about Marlborough as I've learnt about Wellington and I definitely don't know of anyone else who's done it. I recently thought about researching Marlborough and seeing if I can write about him myself but I'm working on a raher large project at the moment with at least one other planned in the future and I also realised that writing about historical battles is a lot harder than you make it appear! So I hope you will write about Marlborough one day. Then again I'm looking forward to more of the Uhtred story because I really enjoyed The Last Kingdom (I wish Ragnar hadn't died though). I'm also hoping to see more of Rider Sandman one day and of course I can't resist any future Sharpes! One of the really interesting things in The Last Kingdom is the historical note at the end - I thought the mention of your ancestors was particularly interesting. I think it always adds more interest to a subject if you know of a connection like that. If only we could all have ancestors with interesting history... One question - how does the AE in a name alter the pronunciation? One last thing, I wondered if you'd read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarfk, the story of two magicians in Regency era England? I really enjoyed this book though sadly there wasn't as much about Strange assisting Wellington in his campaigns as I would have liked. Marie

I have not read all your books but the ones I have, I enjoyed. My favourite was the Heretic trilogy. Have you written any books on the templars or the crusades? Also if you are looking for a good book to read try "Eagle in the Snow" by W. Breem. Conor McHugh

I am a big fan of Richard Sharpe and would very much like to know if there was a book prior to Sharpe's Tiger that gives an insight into his early life? Thank you for the many hours of pleasure your books have given. Mary Butterworth

Dear Bernard, I have just finished my second read of your Warlord Trilogy after a gap of nearly 10 years since I first read it. Now that this site gives me an opportunity to contact you, I would just like to say how impressively written and moving these books are. I read a great deal of fiction - both classic and contemporary - yet there are few books I will feel like re-reading the moment I have finished them. I almost feel like Derfel is one of my friends now - so well do I know him! This period of history fascinates me and I am so glad that you have given the Arthurian legends the re-telling they deserve. I would love to see this trilogy as a film series one day. Given how well Peter Jackson brought Tolkien's work to the cinema - is this something you would consider if the right director approached you? Thanks for writing these books anyway - I look forward to encouraging my son to read them when he's old enough. Regards, Phil.

It seems to me that in the books written after the successful TV films, Sharpe changed and became the character as played by Sean Bean. Were you conscious of this and was it deliberate? As a consequence, do you think that you can still read the total series in historical sequence and not be a little confused by the changes in Sharpe's character and past? Simon Hoggett

Dear Mr Cornwell, Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you on the excellent Sharpe series, to which I have become hopelessy addicted over the last few months. I'm curious to find out whether the way that you see the character of Sharpe has been at all influenced in your later works by Sean Bean's portrayal of him in the TV films. Because I saw the films before reading the books, I always tend to imagine Sharpe looking like Sean - despite the fact that your descriptions of him differ in some ways. Has he changed at all in your imagination? Mark Stokes

I am another devotee of 'Sharpe'!! having read all the books in chronological order so was able to follow the rise of Richard from Ranker to Major!! The last one being 'Sharpes Escape' also I have all 14 DVD's. At the moment I am reading 'Marching with Sharpe' by BJ Bluth which I can recommend to all your readers. My question is:- Were you pleased with the choice of the excellent Sean Bean to play Sharpe? Was that how you envisaged him? Thank you so much for giving me so much pleasure, and of course I am looking forward to the next episode! Yours Mike Southport Merseyside.

Hello there, I have just finished all of the Sharpe books, and loved them. But I do have a question for you - do you think that Sharpe would have been as successful in another time period, ie WW1 or English Civil war? Tina