Your Questions

Q

Hi Bernard, Just halfway through The Last Kingdom.. Awwww smashing, I don't know how you do it but I'm sure glad you do. However is there a tiny little error in this book? Look at page 169 third paragraph.Quote .... but it was late in the day and the sun was in his men's eyes, or so they said afterwards, and King AEthelred, like Aurthur,...??? What's Aurthur doing in this book? ooops. Keep up the good work mate Uhtred is turning out every bit as good a character as Derfel. regards, Tony Henry

Submitted October 19, 2004

A

Oh gawd. Thankyou. Oh dear, I did actually run a spell-check looking for Arthur and thought I'd found every one (three), but that fourth one slipped through. Yuk. There are also misprints on the dedication page, p. 66 and page 166 - the word should be araed.

Q

Hi, I was just wondering what book you are working on now? Brendan

Submitted October 15, 2004

A

I'm working on the follow-up to The Last Kingdom. The book may have the title The Shadow Queen - although that could change.

Q

Dear Mr.Cornwell I started reading the Sharpe books last year in order starting with Sharpe's Tiger. I am now finished with Sharpe's Company and just wanted to know how did Sergent Hakeswill escape from the snake pit in Sharpe's Fortress? Nick Allen-Stewart

Submitted October 15, 2004

A

The snakes wouldn't touch him! He survived. He couldn't be killed (says so in the scriptures). If you were a snake, would you bite him?

Q

Sir, I have enjoyed reading the first handful of books in the Sharpe series, and especially enjoyed, Sharpe's Fortress. I tried but I cannot easily find any more information on, Sieges in the same era with the same tactics and information about the guns used etc. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks John Hofman

Submitted October 15, 2004

A

The Sharpe Companion, by Mark Adkin, has a very accessible chapter on siege warfare (under 'Sharpe's Company') and that's a very good place to start! And I think Osprey Publishing did a book on Napoleonic siege artillery.

Q

Hello Bernard, I must say I do feel a bit silly contacting you like this as I am not sure if you reply and even if I get one that you will be the one writing it. No offence I mean you must get loads of people writing and so may not be able to reply to all. Just dropping a quick note to say how much I enjoy your Sharpe novels. They are in a league of their own. I am so pleased that they are always available for me to buy whenever I walk in to a book shop. Not many of my friends at school read your novels but I think they are awesome!!!! I love the image of Richard Sharpe and it is even better as there are not many images of him so it leaves his appearance to your own imagination. I sometimes get confused about the ranking system in the British army so I was wondering if you could maybe help me out in your reply. Battalions, regiments, companies and platoons, it all gets very confusing. Harper is the mosty brillaint sidekick ever and would not want to annoy him in the slightest. Overall the characters, plots, desrciption and style of your writing is second to none. As the Napoleonic period is my favourite I am really keen to read all the books I can. My only critiscism is that in many of the Sharpe books the detalils of him are repeated. For example his sword, I know this is for the new readers so they can get an understanding but it can be annoying for "experts" as I like to call myself. Well I have to go now and hope you can find the time to reply, With thanks Richard J Raban- Williams

Submitted October 15, 2004

A

A regiment is the parent organisation and was, usually, divided into two or more battalions. Just to confuse you some regiments were single battalions, but usually there were two or more. Battalions rarely fought together. Thus, a random example, the 1st Battalion of the 88th Regiment (the Connaught Rangers) spent most of the Peninsular War in Portugal and Spain while the 2nd battalion was on home duty and then part of the Gibraltar garrison. On paper a battalion was supposed to have 1000 men, but they were usually in the 500 to 800 range. A battalion was divided into ten companies, one of which was the Light Company which specialised in skirmishing. A company could be divided into two platoons, but that was up to the battalion commander, and the platoon rarely operated on its own - the minimum deployment would be one company. Makes sense now?

Q

Do you regret killing off Sgt Hawkeswill so early in your books ? Might you feel tempted to write another Sharpe with that wonderful anti hero included ? (He says hopefully.) I have enjoyed your books for many years, with particular reference to Sharpe and The Grail quest. But I can`t help wondering what Sgt Hawkeswill might have got up to. Graham Smith

Submitted October 15, 2004

A

I do regret it - perhaps he has an evil twin?

Q

Mr. Cornwell, I've been a longtime fan of Sharpe, Derfel and the rest and, as a result of this site (and quotes on the book jackets), I've been introduced to a number of other authors who keep me constantly entertained. I'd simply like to ask whether the quotes on Conn Iggulden's 'Gates of Rome' and Simon Scarrow's 'Under the Eagle' were really your words? I'd kind of like to think that they were; particularly as they were probably the determining factor in my purchasing these excellent novels and there sequels. I'd also be interested to know what, if anything, you think of Matthew Hervey, Allan Mallinson's officer of Light Dragoons? Dominic Mulholland

Submitted October 15, 2004

A

The words are mine. What do I think of Matthew Hervey? Terrific!

Q

Dear Bernard, I have recently started to buy your books to make myself a collection. Inside your books I am able to see what books comes next. The ones I have so far are the same material and kind of design. I went to buy Sharpe's Rifles (The book after Prey) I found that the front cover was a totally different design and material to how the other books are. I was just wondering why this is? Because my collection looks abit odd with this one odd front cover. If you could answer me it would be great, Many Thanks. Annie

Submitted October 13, 2004

A

The book covers are different based on decisions made by the publishers. Not a helpful reply I know, but there it is!

Q

Hi Bernard, I'm a big fan of your work and also Manchester Utd football club , and as such I've heard that Roy Keane is Alex Ferguson's version of himself on the football pitch. Would you describe Sharpe as Wellington's version of himself on the battlefield? Regards Mark Tate

Submitted October 13, 2004

A

Anything but! Wellington disliked soldiers like Sharpe - first he was up from the ranks ('they all take to drink') and second because he preferred men who quietly did their duty in a steady, unflashy way. Sharpe is not unflashy, but that's what makes him (to me) an interesting foil to Wellington.

Q

Hi Bernard. Firstly may I say how much I enjoy all your books. I have a question about the longbow. I watched a documentary recently about the battle of Agincourt where they did a test on the longbow and stated that it couldn't possibly have pierced armour. How they arrived at this was they filmed someone shooting a longbow, used that to calculate the speed the arrow was travelling and then used a machine to drive an arrow at a piece of steel to simulate armour. The arrow just buckled. I'm sceptical as to whether the person would be shooting with the same power as a Medievel archer. They said the battle of Agincourt was won because of the muddy conditions and because the French were charging into a natural funnel in the terrain and it was a sort of Medieval Hillsborough disaster. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on this. Mark Durant

Submitted October 13, 2004

A

The documentary sounds full of rubbish, but there you go. The longbow was used first against the two mounted flank attacks, and those arrows would have been aimed at the horses. Horses don't wear plate armour, and a longbow arrow would pierce mail, leather or padded cloth. Bye bye gee gees. The retreating horsemen probably messed up the main attack (which was on foot), and the longbow arrows would not have pierced plate armour at long or even medium range, but they did force the French men at arms to fight with their visors down, thus restricting their vision drastically. At close range an arrow might pierce plate if it strikes directly - the arrow is travelling at least 44 metres a second (that's a 90 pound bow, and the Agincourt bows were much stronger). Even if the arrow didn't pierce the armour it would knock the man backwards - and few men at arms could afford full plate armour. Many, perhaps most, would have worn leather and mail, and they would have been easy meat for longbowmen. It's Hillsborough plus arrows - very nasty indeed!