Dear Mr Cornwell - I am a great fan of your books and have so many questions and comments that I hardly know where to begin! I have read the Sharpe series, the Arthur books and the Grail Quest and enjoyed them immensely. Indeed they refuelled my passion for history and after each set I always go and research as much as I can about the respective periods in history. May I also say that in your characters of Sharpe, Derfel and Thomas, you created men that modern day small unit leaders should aspire to. Having had military service myself, I recognise the qualities that they project and would have happily served under them. I do have two questions for you... 1. While looking up the history of Arthur, I came across the character or Sir Bedivere and noted that he was the one who was supposed to have cast Excalibur back into the lake upon Arthur's death, the very same job that I noted you had Derfel perform in the end of book 3. I also noted that Bedivere appeared to have been as well travelled as Derfel, among other things, fighting at Mont St Michel (The approximate site of Ynes Trebes). Was the character of Derfel based on Bedivere?
2. You frequently mention in your historical notes that you visit the battlefields that you mention in your novels. Is there one in particular that stands out for you more that the others? Once again thank you - Dan Machulka