Your Questions

Q

Mr. Cornwell, As odd as it may sound, my brothers and I have a ranking system for books. I am proud to announce that the Sharpe books have recently joined some VERY, VERY elite company in our "top tier". We liken a book making it to our "top tier" to someone climbing Mr. Everest. We were wondering if you have a "book ranking system" either formal or informal that you use to place the "top tier" books you may read throughout life?

Conor

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

I suppose I do - though it isn't quite as formal as yours, and it's endlessly shifting, but there are certain books that do stay very special for me and are constantly re-read.

Q

Hi, just a quick note to say how much I have enjoyed reading the Saxon and Arthur books. I can't wait for the next installment of Uhtred's story, what I want to know is will there be anymore to Derfel's story (Arthur)? as I would like to know more of what happens to him in the time after Arthur's demise. thank you.
Peter Wilkinson

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

No, I do not plan to add more to the Arthur books.

Q

Hi Bernard,I hope that you're keeping well.I've recently decided to re read The Warlord Chronicles and have rediscovered how good that they are.I personally think that they would make a cracking TV series in the mould of HBO's Rome.Your take on the Arthur story seems to be an adult,realistic vision,with political intrigue,great characters,vengeance,love and great action scenes.The thing though that has stuck me most in re reading the stories is that every time that I come across the character of Merlin in the tales,I always think of the actor Brian Cox.When Merlin talks,I hear his voice echoing out from the page,Merlin's dialogue seems to be written for his voice.I'm sure that when you wrote the stories you didn't have Brian in Mind specifically but do you as you are writing characters for your books,imagine an actor playing the role in your head and consequently adapt the character's speech cadence to the way you would imagine the actor would deliver the lines? or do you just write the dialogue as if it were you yourself that were saying the words?Thanks in advance if you find the time to answer. Anthony Hegarty

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

I didn't have Brian Cox in mind, but his voice suits the character very well! I don't think I imagine any particular actor when I write dialogue (except for Sharpe, when I definitely hear Sean Bean's voice), but I do hear the voices distinctly, and the characters tend to dictate how their dialogue should be written. Does that make sense?

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I just wanted to ask if you are planning the next book to follow Sword Song? I am a huge fan of your writing. I have the Arthur Books, the Saxon Stories, Stonehenge, and the Grail Quest and have read and re-read them all many times. I have just finished reading the Saxon Stories for the third time and am desperate to know what happens when Uhtred returns to Lundene with Aethelflaed! It's very selfish of me but please please please don't ever hang up your pen!!
Meryl Davis

Mr. Cornwell I have really enjoyed your books especially the Saxon Stories they are to me very well portrayed and thought out. Especially how you are able to write in full details how the battle is working on and the formations they do. Stonehenge was also just an amazing book. My question would be how many books would be in the Saxon stories series or is it just going to end in the fifth. Also I strongly believe a movie over the Saxon Stories would be just phenomenal. And thanks for the great books you write
Luis

Dear Mr. Cornwell, I enjoy your work immensely, my father introduced me to your Sharp series years ago. As he is hard to buy a present for; your writing has over the years, provided me an opportunity to buy Christmas or birthday presents that we both can enjoy, as well as give us topics for discussion. At this point I think I own all of your works with the exception of the Star Buck chronicles, and the thrillers which I will assuredly get to. I do hope you will return to the Saxon Chronicles soon, not only does Uhtred have unfinished business, but it would be nice if he were properly rewarded for once. Still you know what is said about the gratitude of Kings&&& All the best Sean Gallagher, Hingham

Just wanted to drop a note and say that I love all of your work and have been reading your books since I was 12 yrs old (I am now 24!). I have read and loved all your books, from Stormchild through to the entire Sharp series. I have just finished Sword Song and Uhtred's tales are my ultimate favourite! Your books are such a delight to read, whatever subject and they only ever last me a couple of days as I can never put them down. I cannot wait for the next installment in Uhred's adventures - When is the next book planned for? Keep up the good work, I am not sure what I would do if you stopped writing! Kind regards, Julie Hannah

Hi Bernard, I have really enjoyed your Saxon Stories. I was wondering if you will write a fifth book to complete the journey back to Bebbanburg i.e. Uhtred taking ownership of the fort from his uncle, Thank you Gavin

Dear, Mr. Cornwell, I came across your Saxon books in a bookshop in Edinburgh and I had to buy the four of them. Once in my country, I read them within a month, and I have to say they left me with a bittersweet flavour in my mouth. My question is the following: when will we, the readers, know about Uhtred's life and adventures?. I presume you will keep on writing on him and his lifetime, but I am anxious to know more about his tale. Thank you very much for your attention. Greetings from Spain.
Isabel

hello Mr Cornwell, as one of my favorite authors when i start a series of your books i have to read them one after another,in have just finished sword song, could you please tell me if and when a fifth book in the saxon series will be released, thank you. Pat Perry

Hy, It would like to know when it goes to leave vol. 5 The Saxon Stories. I live in Brazil!
Diogo Pettres

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

I am working on the fifth book of the Saxon stories now. I hope to have it ready for publication in the UK in October of this year; most likely a January 2010 publication in the US. I don't know yet how many books will make up this series - six? seven? We'll have to wait and see!

Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell, Big fan and have contacted you numerous times in the past. My question is, about the French Column formation. I was under the impression that the column was not actually used within musket range for the most part, until after 1807/08 when the quality of French Troops declined. I remember reading in Chandler's "campaign's of Napoleon" that the French in the revolutionary period deployed into a three rank line before the final assault. Tactics in that period are really so confusing, now I'm reading a book on the period that suggests that most of the battles were fought in loose skirmish order, but I cannot believe that for cavalry would have destroyed those troops. I guess we will never know for sure. Mark Anthony Savannah

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

The column was developed by the French Revolutionary armies at the beginning of the Revolutionary wars, i.e. around 1793. It wasn't a new formation, of course. Previously armies had used the three deep line to maximise firepower, and the French went on using that defensively right through the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period - the British reduced it to two lines, thus broadening the arc of fire. The advantage of the column to the French was that it was a convenient formation for pushing a mass of semi-trained conscripts into attack - remember that the Revolutionary Army was conscripted, not a 'volunteer' force like every other professional army, and so it was less well trained. It also had a huge psychological effect on the enemy. Most battles were certainly NOT fought in loose skirmish order. Skirmishers were posted ahead of the line or column, but a whole infantry force in skirmish order would have been wiped out by cavalry in minutes. In an ideal world the column transformed itself into a line at the last moment, but that rarely happened under the impact of musketry.

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, This week I purchased and read an electronic version of Agincourt. Wow!! Applause, applause! I bought and read this book because I am quite familiar with Shakespeares Henry V and have read all the Sharpes novels and more of your works. The opening sentence grabbed me by the throat and you never let go. Hook is a fascinating character, especially with his wife, Melisande. Do you plan to write any further adventures for them? One query: Is Lanferelle a real, historical figure or created out of your very fertile imagination? Robert A. Goldstein

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

Thank you! Lanferelle is imaginary! There is a slight possibility there will be more adventures for Hook.

Q

Bernard, My question for you today. I was looking at Cecelia Holland's website the other day. She had an interesting statement posted: words to the effect that she would never write about the American Civil War because everybody in America knows too much about it and it would restrict her freedom as an author into rigid tracts in order to avoid being criticized by all the people who know so much about what each historical character was like. As an author of many novels about the American Civil war, did you find her statement to be true? Bob Long

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

I'm sure it's true for her! I don't feel the same constraint, but no two authors are alike, and I think her reasoning is admirable!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, thank you so much to bring back the past in your interesting and exciting books. Did you ever consider to write about the Swiss pikeman and mercenaries in the fifteenth century, since they ruled the battlefields at that time ? kind regards Rico Benz

Submitted March 11, 2009

A

The quick answer is 'no'! I don't know enough about the period, and I'm not sure I want to embark on the research, but maybe someone else can write it?

Q

I have read all your Sharpe books and many of your others and enjoyed them immensely. I have often wondered if your inspiration for Sharpe was the historic character John Shipp who was also an orphan who joined the army in about the same time period as Sharpe and was the only soldier to be commissioned from the ranks twice.
Brian Beck

Submitted March 4, 2009

A

Sharpe is not Shipp, no, though I have used Shipp's biography in the research - everything else is coincidence.

Q

hi Bernard - greatly enjoyed all the books you have written and hope you never stop writing ! I was just wondering about the phrase you used in the Alfred series " fate is inexorable " what made you think of this phrase and why did you incorporate this phrase into this particular story ? and do you now how to write this phrase in viking/danish runes ? thanks a lot Michael p.s. looking forward to book number five in the Uhtred/Alfred series.

Submitted March 4, 2009

A

It comes from an Old English poem, The Wanderer, which is very beautiful and rather sad, and seems to pretty much sum up the fatalism of dark-age characters.