Episode 921: Bernard Cornwell on “Sharpe’s Storm”

Summary

Podcast Summary: Newt’s World – Episode 921: Bernard Cornwell on “Sharpe’s Storm”

Date: December 14, 2025
Host: Newt Gingrich
Guest: Bernard Cornwell
Episode Theme: A deep dive into Bernard Cornwell’s latest Sharpe novel, “Sharpe’s Storm,” exploring his approach to historical fiction, his career journey, and insights into the Napoleonic Wars, Wellington’s genius, and the art of bringing history to life.

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Newt Gingrich hosts renowned historical novelist Bernard Cornwell, best known for the Sharpe series and The Last Kingdom. Together, they discuss Cornwell’s new book “Sharpe’s Storm,” the creative and historical decisions behind his body of work, and the enduring appeal of bringing real characters and battles vividly to life. The conversation veers from practical authorial challenges to the legacies of Wellington and the birth of both England and America.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bernard Cornwell’s Accidental Start as a Novelist

(03:39 - 04:46)

• Cornwell recounts how marriage and immigration constraints led him to try writing a novel. He attributes his writing career to “an accident” after moving to the US and being unable to secure a work permit.
• Quote:
  “When I got to the United States, I found it was quite difficult to get a work permit. So I said to her, don’t worry, darling, I’ll write a book. And that was 45 years ago... and I’ve been writing books ever since.” – Bernard Cornwell (04:16)

2. Origins of Sharpe and Filling a Literary Gap

(05:13 - 06:39)

• Cornwell’s inspiration for Sharpe was the lack of novels about the British Army in the Napoleonic Wars, despite the popularity of naval stories like Hornblower.
• Quote:
  “I thought that was a gap on the bookshelf… so for years I looked for books that told the story of Wellington’s army, and I couldn’t find them. Eventually, this little light went off in my head and I thought, well, if nobody else is doing it, why don’t you do it?” – Bernard Cornwell (06:14)

3. Portraying Wellington: A Difficult, Brilliant Commander

(07:30 - 08:37)

• Cornwell brings Wellington to vivid life, highlighting his genius and emotional restraint. He notes the general’s disdain for authors and his affinity for confiding in women.
• Quote:
  “I think he was a very emotional man, but he hid his emotions very well and he was, of course, quite brilliant… I also suspect he would dislike me intensely. He once said he could not bear authors and he refused to talk to authors.” – Bernard Cornwell (07:35, 08:04)

4. The Last Kingdom and the Birth of England

(10:02 - 11:46)

• Cornwell explains the genesis of Uhtred and the Last Kingdom series, rooted in his curiosity about England’s origins. He contrasts England’s lack of a celebrated “birth moment” with America’s July 4th.
• Quote:
  “I realized that I had a very, very clear idea where the United States came from… England doesn’t have a birth moment. There’s no celebration in England of a day to celebrate England itself.” – Bernard Cornwell (10:28)

5. Crafting Battles: Fact vs. Fiction

(14:25 - 15:35)

• Cornwell candidly discusses how, in less-documented events like Brunanburh, he has creative license, whereas for Waterloo, factual accuracy is paramount.
• Quote:
  “One of the joys of being a historical novelist is you can make things up. I can’t make up anything about the battle of Waterloo. It’s too well recorded... But when it came to Brunanburgh... I just make it up as I go along.” – Bernard Cornwell (14:58)

6. Wellington’s Experience in India and Battle Tactics

(15:35 - 17:28)

• Cornwell analyzes how Wellington’s Indian campaigns shaped his confidence and leadership style, balancing bold attacks with defensive brilliance.
• Quote:
  “I think what he learned in India is to take heed of his own impulses, to follow them and to have confidence in them.” – Bernard Cornwell (17:18)

7. The Reality and Complexity of the Peninsular Campaigns

(18:16 - 23:33)

• Detailed exploration of the invasion of southern France and the significance of logistics, engineering, and quick decision-making, including the crossing of the River Adur.
• Quote:
  “When Wellington crossed the Pyrenees and marches into France, he is the only enemy army actually on French soil… It was a very difficult campaign for Wellington because he’s hedged in by rivers and faced with an enormous fortress city… his campaign following the crossing of the Pyrenees is quite brilliant.” – Bernard Cornwell (18:30)

8. Army Culture, Innovation, and Tactical Stubbornness

(28:46 - 31:08)

• Gingrich and Cornwell dissect British vs. French tactics: the efficacy of the British line versus the French column, and the French persistence in tactics that repeatedly failed against British methods.
• Quote:
  “The French understood that this was a problem… but in the end, as Wellington said of Waterloo, they came on in the same old way, and we saw them off in the same old way.” – Bernard Cornwell (29:49)

9. Character Insights: Sharpe, Uhtred, and Real-Life Inspiration

(31:08 - 33:11)

• Cornwell admits a greater personal affinity for Sharpe due to longevity but enjoys the creative freedom Uhtred’s looser historical context provides.
• Quote:
  “If I’m walking the dog, I hear him [Sharpe] talking in my head… Uhtred is in many ways more fun to write because we know less about his period, so I can make up more things for him. But Sharpe is incredibly real to me.” – Bernard Cornwell (31:19)

10. Editorial Legacies: Susan Watt’s Influence

(33:13 - 34:47)

• Reflection on Cornwell's long relationship with editor Susan Watt, who pushed for more emotional depth in Sharpe and inspired creative but sometimes mischievous negotiation over edits.
• Quote:
  “She cared very deeply about him [Sharpe] and she was always urging me to describe his emotions more, and I would just say, well, he’s always grumpy, that’s about it. And I refused to do it.” – Bernard Cornwell (33:38)
  “She always wanted to see early drafts and I always refused. I said, ‘You’ll see the book when it’s finished.’ ” – Bernard Cornwell (34:18)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “It was an accident… don’t worry, darling, I’ll write a book. And that was 45 years ago.”
  — Bernard Cornwell on his writing career’s beginning (04:16)

• “You only say that because he’s beaten you. I tell you, I can beat him and will beat him.”
  — Cornwell paraphrasing Napoleon’s hubris on the eve of Waterloo (20:25)

• “One of the joys of being a historical novelist is you can make things up. I can’t make up anything about the battle of Waterloo.”
  — Bernard Cornwell (14:57)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:39 – Bernard Cornwell’s writing genesis
• 05:17 – The first Sharpe novel and series motivation
• 07:30 – Bringing Wellington to life; real personality
• 10:02 – The birth of England and Uhtred’s story
• 14:25 – Fact vs. fictional license in battles
• 15:35 – Lessons Wellington learned in India
• 18:30 – The Southern France campaign and logistics
• 28:46 – Tactical contrasts: British line vs. French column
• 31:08 – Sharpe vs. Uhtred: author-character relationship
• 33:28 – The editorial influence of Susan Watt

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Closing Thoughts

Bernard Cornwell and Newt Gingrich’s discussion provides rich insight into the discipline and artistry of historical fiction. Cornwell’s willingness to blend research with narrative license, his appreciation for complex commanders like Wellington, and his affection for both Sharpe and Uhtred offer fans a glimpse into the creative decisions behind treasured series. Their warm, humorous exchange, with plenty of historical asides and authorial confessions, makes this an unmissable listen for both history buffs and fiction lovers.

Book Mentioned:

• Sharpe’s Storm (now available at retailers and bernardcornwell.net)

For more from Newt’s World:
Subscribe and follow on Apple Podcasts, Substack, or Gingrich360.net.

Transcript

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[Bernard Cornwell]

How are USDA staff cuts and budget challenges affecting farmers with conservation?

[Newt Gingrich]

I've saved my soil and I provide food for my community. I wouldn't have been able to do that without the NRCS programs. A lot of farmers are thinking that.

[Bernard Cornwell]

They'Re not able to farm next year.

[Newt Gingrich]

Crop prices are below cost of production and so these programs are what keep farmers in the business of farming, protect.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Conservation funding and staff that supports farmers paid for by Invest in Our Land.

[Newt Gingrich]

On this episode of Newts World, one of my all time favorite authors is Bernard Cornwell. His best Selling novels of historical fiction have kept me entertained and educated for years. The Wall Street Journal calls him, quote, the most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today. And that is quite compliment. Now, he's joining me today to discuss his latest book, Sharp Storm, set In the year 1813 on a battlefield in France. I've read it, I highly recommend it, but I'm not going to let him get away with just talking about that because he's such an interesting person and his background is so cool. Bernard, thank you so much for joining me.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, thank you for inviting me.

[Newt Gingrich]

You've said your writing career started almost by accident. Tell us about that, because it's kind of amazing that you are this successful by accident.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, it was an accident. I think I always wanted to write novels, but many, many people have that wish and I really couldn't see it happening. And I had a perfectly good job. I was a producer for BBC Television, working in Northern Ireland. And purely by chance, I met an American, a woman who I saw getting out of an elevator in Edinburgh. And I looked at my reporter and said, I'm going to marry that one. Well, it took me 18 months. And Judy, for very good reasons, family reasons, couldn't live in Britain. So I said, well, I'll have to go to America. When I got to the United States, I found it was quite difficult to get a work permit. They were not giving them away. So I said to her, don't worry, darling, I'll write a book. And that was 45 years ago. I'm now an American citizen, thankfully, and I've been writing books ever since. And we're still married.

[Newt Gingrich]

What is it you saw in that instant that led you to decide that you had to marry her?

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, I'm sure she'd be mad at me for saying it, but very good.

[Newt Gingrich]

Legs, if it's the truth. You and I both believe that that's a useful thing to start with.

[Bernard Cornwell]

We're in agreement on that, Mr. Speaker, obviously.

[Newt Gingrich]

Beyond the legs, there was a lot that was pretty endurable, if you guys are still hanging out together this many years later.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Oh, we're still hanging out together, yes.

[Newt Gingrich]

I have forgotten that I should know this. What was your first novel?

[Bernard Cornwell]

The first novel was called Sharp's Eagle, which was set in 1808 and the battle of Talavera. And I think There are now 25 sharp novels, and I think that's the right number, which follow him now from his early career in India right through to the Battle of Waterloo.

[Newt Gingrich]

I love the early books. When he's in India. And I'm a little surprised that you kind of start not quite in the middle, but almost in the middle. So how did that come to you? What is there that had you sitting around New Jersey going, gee, I think I'll write about Talavera?

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, I think I'd always known what book I wanted to write. I've often thought that writing itself is very easy. Writing, well, is difficult, but knowing what to write about is the most difficult thing of all. And as I'm sure you know, there were those Great novels by C. S. Forrester about Hornblower, and it always amazed me that there were several guys writing about the British Navy and its fight against Napoleon, but nobody was doing the same for the army. And I thought that was a gap on the bookshelf. So for years I looked for books that told the story of Wellington's army, and I couldn't find them. And eventually this little light went off in my head and I thought, well, if nobody else is doing it, why don't you do it? And that's what I've been doing for 45 years now.

[Newt Gingrich]

Well, I have to tell you, by the way, Jim Mattis, the Marine Forest Star, General Secretary of Defense, we were at dinner one night and he said he had never understood Waterloo until he read your version, which I thought was quite a compliment.

[Bernard Cornwell]

It's a huge compliment. I shall treasure it.

[Newt Gingrich]

I had spent a lot of time, right after I won the speakership, I spent several months studying Wellington because I thought the Peninsular campaign of fighting outnumbered and winning was probably the closest thing to my speakership and I wanted to learn from Wellington. So I read a lot of biographies and things, and it is astonishing. But then you bring both the war and you bring sharp, of course, but you also bring Wellington to life in a way that a lot of people find very difficult.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, I think he was a difficult man. He once said of himself, I have no small talk. And he was awkward, Certainly in conversation he was quite cold. In fact, I think he was a very emotional man, but he hid his emotions very well and he was, of course, quite brilliant. He'd served in every rank in the army from lieutenant upwards. He understood the processes of fighting and he especially understood logistics. I feel I know him remarkably well because I've been writing about him for so long. I also suspect he would dislike me intensely. He once said he could not bear authors and he refused to talk to authors. I mean, after the Battle of Waterloo, in his long career, he was often questioned about it, especially about the Waterloo campaign. And he refused to talk about it. The only way to get him to open up was to present him with a very young, beautiful woman. And then he would talk. He was very susceptible to women, which I like about him. And the best stories about Wellington all come from what he told other women.

[Newt Gingrich]

You remind me, by the way, Churchill, as a very impetuous, an arrogant young man, decides to write the River War about the Battle of Omdurman. In the book, praises Kitchener, who was the general in charge of the whole campaign. Kitchener's totally pissed off at him, because Kitchener's attitude is, who are you as a junior officer? Whether you tell me you like what I did or you don't like what I did, you have no right to have an opinion. I think that he and Wallington would probably have agreed on that.

[Bernard Cornwell]

I'm sure they would have agreed absolutely, yes.

[Newt Gingrich]

As you know, not only am I a huge fan of what you have done for Wellington and for Sharp, but I'm an even bigger fan for what you have done for Uhtred and for the Last Kingdom. What I think is probably the best explanation of Alfred that I have ever seen, capturing this strangely weak and yet very strong person who becomes the foundation for what Billy later on will call England. You've done some secondary books, but you have these two series that are astonishing. How do you manage to juggle two totally different storylines, two totally different eras, and yet both of them come off, I think, just as remarkably good?

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, I suppose the first storyline is Sharp in the Napoleonic wars, and I've been an enthusiast for looking at the Napoleonic wars ever since I was a kid. Uhtred and the Saxon stories came much later. And that was really because, I think, living in America, and I've become very fond of America, and like all Americans, I celebrate July 4th. And I realized that I had a very, very clear idea where the United States came from. Its birth moment, if you like. And then I thought, well, I know nothing about where England came from. I mean, England doesn't have a birth moment. There's no celebration in England of a day to celebrate England itself. And although I had a very good education in Britain, it didn't cover that. So I set out to discover it for myself. And that's really the story of Uhtred. Uhtred, if you like, parallels the creation of England. And in July next year, we'll celebrate America's 250th birthday. England's birthday, I suppose, is the year 937 at a terrible battle called the Battle of Brunanburh. We don't really know too much about what happened there, but that was the birth moment of this battle and maybe I'll celebrate it privately next October. I'd have to subtract 937 from 2026 and I can't do that in my head. I'll leave that to cleverer people.

[Trainer Games Narrator]

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[Bernard Cornwell]

This is where mindset comes in.

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Someone will be eliminated.

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[Bernard Cornwell]

How are USDA staff cuts and budget challenges affecting farmers? My dad and I both have a CSP contract, but staff can't check the fields to approve them for us to get paid. We're going through a very bad economic time if we don't have the funds to support our Conservation practices. We're going to see a major drop off in producers. I don't know, guys, this is scary. I got a young family, a young business and have no idea what's going to happen. Protect conservation funding and staff that supports farmers paid for by investing our land.

[Newt Gingrich]

In that particular battle, which, as you point out, we have only very limited archaeological Molotov. But you have a clear sense that the English side, by keeping part of its forces in reserve and bringing them in from the flank at the right moment, were decisive in shattering the allied armies that were opposed to England. Is that a novelistic adventure or is there some reason to believe it may have happened like that?

[Bernard Cornwell]

No reason to believe it at all. I had to make it up for hundreds of years, over a thousand years. Nobody even knew where the battle was fought. Archaeologists discovered that about five years ago. One of the joys of being an historical novelist is you can make things up. I can't make up anything about the battle of Waterloo. It's too well recorded. I mean, I can't invent a sudden flank attack, which in fact was what Wellington was most worried about. But when it came to Brunanburg, other than the fact that the two armies met and that it was a disaster for the enemy, we don't know anything really. So I just make it up as I go along.

[Newt Gingrich]

When you think about Wellington and his capacity to do things and the whole nature of the British army of that period, how much do you think what Wellington learned fighting in India shaped and equipped him to operate in a backward region like Portugal?

[Bernard Cornwell]

I think he learned confidence. I think that was the main thing at the huge battle of Assay, which was his biggest victory in India. He took huge risks and those risks paid off. I mean, he was often reviled by the French as merely a defensive general. And of course, he was a brilliant defensive general. He proved that at Waterloo. But he was also capable of very, very bold attacks. And his attack at a say was particularly brave and bold. He was outnumbered again, but he outflanked the enemy and he destroyed the enemy. And I think he came away from India convinced that he could actually operate as a commander of an army. And that has indeed proved true. But much later in his life, he was asked once again by a woman, what are you most proud of in your career? And he answered with one word, assay, which is a story I tell in Sharp's triumph. And he was simply proud of it because it was a huge risk, an enormous risk, and it paid off. And he proved it again at battles Like Salamanca, where, again, he was an offensive battle, but it was a brilliant battle in many ways. People call Salamanca Wellington's masterpiece. And as much as a horrible slaughter like Salamanca can be a masterpiece, it was a masterpiece of generalship. So I think what he learned in India is to take heed of his own impulses, to follow them and to have confidence in them.

[Newt Gingrich]

If I remember correctly, Salamanca is the battle where he's watching the battlefield eating a chicken leg and suddenly says, the French general has made a huge mistake, throws away the chicken leg and goes into the battle.

[Bernard Cornwell]

That's exactly right. He's watching the French from a hilltop. He sees them making this mistake, which is basically marching far off to his right and their left. And he says to his friend Oliver, the Spanish liaison officer, Marmont Epideu. Marmont is lost. He then gallops three miles to his right flank and orders the attack by the third Division, which rolls the French up. And again, it was risky in many ways. It's astonishing, but it was incredibly effective.

[Newt Gingrich]

I never thought much about coming out of the peninsula and into southern France, but in fact, as you make clear in several of your novels, that was a big deal and was actually a very real campaign in its own right.

[Bernard Cornwell]

It was. And when Wellington crossed the Pyrenees and marches into France, he is the only enemy army actually on French soil. And Napoleon wanted to get rid of him, so he sent big reinforcements to Marshal sue, who was his opponent there. And it was a very difficult campaign for Wellington because he's hedged in by rivers and faced with an enormous fortress city, the city of Bayonne. And in many ways, his campaign following the crossing of the Pyrenees is quite brilliant. And of course, it leads in the end to Britain occupying everything from Bordeaux down to the French border. But by that time, the Austrians, the Prussians and the Russians were in northern France, and the situation became impossible for Napoleon. Although Napoleon's own Campaign of 1814 is also a masterpiece. With very small forces, he stymied his major enemies in the north, but that left Wellington free in the south.

[Newt Gingrich]

There seems to be an enormous gap in the capabilities of the French generals. Without Napoleon, they're pretty consistently unable to cope with Wellington.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Yes, that's true. And Wellington himself explained it by saying that French logistics, French organization, was like a very, very fine harness on a horse. It was beautifully constructed, a beautiful harness. He said, if it breaks, it takes forever to mend. He says, I just tie ropes to make a harness, and if something breaks, I tie a knot and keep going. And that is in many ways true. And of course, this adds to the drama of Waterloo, because on the eve of Waterloo, Napoleon is entirely confident of victory. And his generals, who have faced Wellington and been beaten by Wellington, say, no, no, you've got to be cautious. This man is good. And he looks at them scornfully and says, you only say that because he's beaten you. I tell you, I can beat him and will beat him. And that is, I really think, part of the drama, because you're right, Napoleon was a genius of war, but he was faced by another one and it was like the Wimbledon final. These two greatest players in the world have never met before and they meet at the final. And thank goodness, Wellington. Wonderful.

[Newt Gingrich]

I went back recently and reread your description of the novel involving Waterloo. And it is really a close run.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Thing, as Wellington said, it was a close run thing. And again, the drama of the battle is it began at about 11 o' clock in the morning. It's still going at 8:30 at night. And really at 8 o' clock, it would be impossible to say who was going to win this. And then finally, Napoleon throws in his elite troops in the final attack, the attack of the Imperial Guard up against Wellington's weakened right wing, and you have this final clash. And it all happens very suddenly. An immediate result happens when the Imperial Guard is defeated and the rest of the army just panic and run. It is an incredibly dramatic moment, one of the most dramatic moments in warfare.

[Newt Gingrich]

Because you recognize the nature of southern France. You really give us a sense of how important it was to be able to have engineering and to be able to figure out both how to keep the other side of the French off balance and how to build crossings so rapidly that you could get the army, because it's in constant danger of being caught with half of it on the north side and half of it on the south side and being defeated in detail.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, that really was the story of that campaign. And again, Wellington's understanding of the problems is in many ways the key to solving them. And he had great faith in his engineers, who were very, very, very efficient. And he depends for his survival on these pontoon bridges that his engineers construct. And when the pontoon bridges fail, he's in trouble. But really, I think the masterpiece, and it's actually not in Sharp Storm, although I think you learn all about it if you read the novel, was the crossing of the River Adur when he crossed it at its estuary, the widest point of the river and an almost impossible place to build a bridge because it was subject to Atlantic storms and yet the engineers managed to throw a bridge over in less than 24 hours and Wellington crosses and thus outflanks Marshall sue yet again.

[Trainer Games Narrator]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and men mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.

[Newt Gingrich]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Trainer Games Narrator]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Commercial Announcer]

Pressure is coming down.

[Trainer Games Narrator]

This is Trainer Games.

[Newt Gingrich]

Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.

[Trainer Games Narrator]

Ever wish you could try the Washington Post and see what all the talk is about? Right now you can with a one week pass for just $7. No commitment, no strings attached. Just $7 for one week of unlimited access to the Post. It's the perfect way to explore our award winning journalism and experience what subscribers already know. There's nothing else quite like it, so why not give us a try? Go to washingtonpost.com week and start your $7 one week pass today. That's washingtonpost.com week.

[Sunday Lawn Care Advertiser]

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[Commercial Announcer]

It's the sound of truly immersive audio thanks to Vizio's new 4.1 soundbar and it's now available at Walmart. Powered by Dolby Atmos and DTS X Experience Rich cinematic sound with two wireless surround speakers and a compact wireless subwoofer that puts you in the center of your entertainment, all without the clutter of cables. Stream your favorite music radio and podcasts with the iHeartRadio app and trust us, your music has never sounded this Good. Head to Walmart.com and upgrade your sound game today.

[Bernard Cornwell]

How are USDA staff cuts and budget challenges affecting farmers? I have land in conservation to provide water quality benefits. With the nrcs being short staffed, the USDA isn't releasing any information because they're not there. I made an agreement. I've done my part, but now I'm sitting on potentially a large sum that is owed to you. My bills are coming due at the end of the year, but I can't even finalize my plans for next year. It's pretty frustrating. Protect conservation funding and staff that supports farmers paid for by investing our land.

[Newt Gingrich]

You indicated that you actually wanted Sharp to be there, but it didn't fit the timeline because of Sharp siege.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Yes. This is called disorganization on my part. I really thought the climax of the book would be the building of the great bridge over the River Adur, and then suddenly realized when I was halfway through the book that I'd already had Sharp somewhere else when that happened, so I couldn't tell it, which forced me to come up with another ending for the book, which in the end I rather liked. When Sharp is sent to make a reconnaissance of the northern bank, I have absolutely no evidence that such a reconnaissance took place, but I can't believe it didn't, so I just made it up.

[Newt Gingrich]

I mean, I think it's very likely that whether Sharp did it or somebody else did it, the Wellington wanted to know what was there.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Oh, yes, I agree with you and I take great joy in your agreements.

[Newt Gingrich]

One of your most interesting characters in this book is Sir Nathaniel Peacock, who is a real figure. It's kind of unkind to him to set him up for ridicule, but apparently it was real.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Oh, yes, it was real. I mean, one of the first persons who ever read the book said, you can't get away with this. And I hadn't written the historical note by that time. He said, one, the name is ridiculous, and two, no one can be that pompous and that stupid. And I pointed out that in fact the man existed. And Sir Nathaniel was, if you like, a cardboard caricature of the arrogant British officer who is born too rich, too privileged and thinks he knows it all. And on the whole, Wellington had managed to get rid of most men like that. But at the last minute, Sir Nathaniel is inflicted on the army and he makes a perfect character for Sharp to dislike, because Sharp, of course, is the very opposite of a pompous, arrogant, privileged officer. And I won't do a spoiler and say what happens to Sir Nathaniel in the book, but it's all true. It happened more or less exactly as it's described in the book.

[Newt Gingrich]

You have several of those scattered through the book that people who are out of touch with reality, taken up with their own aristocracy and dangerous to the army, and yet favored by the army headquarters back in London, which was due.

[Bernard Cornwell]

To their social position and the contacts they had. And Wellington often complained when new officers were sent to him that they were useless, incompetent popinjays, but somehow he survived.

[Newt Gingrich]

Them you communicate the army is winning, not because it's perfect, but because in its imperfections, it is still dramatically more durable than its opponent. Which I think a really interesting question about culture and warfare all the way through this. This being the Napoleonic horse. The British stay just below the military crest so that the French artillery will pass over them. The British shoot from line so they can bring all of their weapons to bear simultaneously. The French march up the hill in a column, which allows them to control the much less professional troops that they have, but at the same time means when they collide with the British, that only the people on the outside of the column will be able to fight. And this goes on consistently with Wellington for the entire period of warfare. You know, up through Waterloo. They never learn.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, they did learn, and they tried to counter it, but as you say, in the end, as Wellington said of Waterloo, they came on in the same old way, and we saw them off in the same old way. The French understood that this was a problem. Their solution to the problem was to try and deploy the column into line just before they clashed with the British. It never worked because the British simply advanced and blasted them with musketry as they tried to deploy. But they did know it, and they tried two things to avoid it. One was to send more skirmishes ahead. But they came up against the British riflemen, and the British had the rifle and the French didn't have rifles, and they came up against the too deep British line. And as you say, every British musket could fire, whereas in a column, only the guys in the front rank and the few on the files at the side could reply. So although the French outnumbered the British, they were far outnumbered in the number of muskets that they could use. And to me, too, it's astonishing that the French really didn't abolish that method, but it had worked so well for them against every other enemy that they just couldn't give it up. And they did the same at Waterloo. The Imperial Guard attacked in column and met a British line. And the line is always going to win.

[Newt Gingrich]

I have to ask you one almost silly question, I guess. Do you feel closer to Sharp or to Uhtred?

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, that's an interesting question. Probably Sharp, because I've been riding him for so long, and if I'm walking the dog, I hear him talking in my head. Uhtred is in many ways more fun to write because we know less about his period, so I can make up more things for him. But Sharp is incredibly real to me. So, yes, I'M sure that Sharp is the answer to that question.

[Newt Gingrich]

You've always sort of ended the novels with the promise that Sharp and his Sergeant Harper will march again. But you don't. At the end of this, are we at the end of the. The great journey with Sharp?

[Bernard Cornwell]

I have a feeling probably we are. But I always say, never say never. And who knows, in two or three years time when I'm wondering what the next book should be, I'll hear Sharp saying, well, you haven't taken me to the Battle of Al Baheria yet, have you? So we'll see, we'll see.

[Newt Gingrich]

In the interim, what are you working on?

[Bernard Cornwell]

I'm working on another Uhtred. And again, I mean, this is. We went back to about a year ago, and I was thinking, what will be the next book? And Uhtred said, hey, how about me? And I'm doing what I promised myself I'd never do with Uhtred, which was going back in his history and sort of dovetailing this book into the series. But we'll see whether it works.

[Newt Gingrich]

I have to confess, the first time I picked up the initial volume where he's with his father in that very first battle, I actually didn't read it very long. I read the first couple chapters and I thought, this is really so different. I couldn't wrap my head around it. And then about 10 years later, I came back and realized how brilliant it was. And I don't know what it was about my two connections with Uhtred, but I became a very deep fan of that series and think it's a remarkable achievement.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, thank you. Mr. Speaker.

[Newt Gingrich]

You dedicated this book to Susan Watt, your longtime editor and somebody who wanted you to reveal more of Sharpe's emotional life. How did Susan shape the whole experience of Sharpe over the years?

[Bernard Cornwell]

Well, Susan was a quite extraordinary editor. I think she felt motherly towards Sharp and she cared very deeply about him. And she was always urging me to describe his emotions more, and I would just say, well, he's always grumpy. That's about it. And I refused to do it. I remember when I wrote the three Arthurian books, she wanted to know more about Arthur's childhood, which resulted in one line in the book, what is the egg to the eagle? And I refused to do it. She was a wonderful editor and the books were always improved after she'd gone through them and made her requests.

[Newt Gingrich]

Since you'd known her for so long, would you go through a process of sort of chatting about the book before you started writing or Just showing up with the book.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Showed up with a book, which annoyed her. She always wanted to see early drafts and I was refused. I said, you'll see the book when it's finished. And then I would try and put in little traps for her because I would understand that the one thing she was really going to object about, the book. So I'd put in four or five other things which I would pretend to fight for and give way on so I didn't have to give way on the big one. I think she eventually realized what I was doing and became better at sorting it out.

[Newt Gingrich]

Oh, that's very funny. You know, I always have this problem when I write. I really don't like being edited. No one does make me feel better, frankly. I want to thank you for joining me. But more importantly, I want to thank you for all the years you've spent developing several worlds so that people like me can literally lose themselves in Bernard Cornwall's world.

[Bernard Cornwell]

And I want to thank you for your support, which has always been wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[Newt Gingrich]

You know, I have to tell people your new book, Sharp Storm is available now on Amazon and in bookstores everywhere. And people can also follow you on your [e-mail] so thank you very much for joining me and having this wonderful conversation.

[Bernard Cornwell]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[Newt Gingrich]

Thank you to my guest, Bernard Cornwell. Newt's World is produced by Gingrich360 and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Garnesy Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. You all work for the show was created by Steve Pendley. Special thanks to the team at Gingrich 360. If you've been enjoying Newt's World, I hope you'll go to Apple podcast and both rate us with five stars and give us a review so others can learn what it's all about. Join me Join me on [e-mail] I'm Newt Gingrich. This is Newt's World.

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How do I do it all during the holidays?

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[Bernard Cornwell]

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