Mr. Cornwell, thanks for all the superb characters, hours of reading pleasure and seamless blending of factual and fictional. 'Rebel' led me to your Sharpe series in '93 and I've been a fan since. I'm curious to know if you are familiar with 'Angels in Iron', Nicholas Prata's novel about the pivotal 1565 Siege of Malta. His memorable characters, accurate detail and desperate battle scenes remind one of your work. (As does R.F. Delderfield's Napoleonic fiction.)
Also, have you any interest in treating the Christian/Muslim conflicts of that period (Venetian-Turkish Wars, Rhodes, Malta, Lepanto, Crete, Vienna, etc.?)
Just wondering: in 'Vagabond', you describe Scots pikes as wickedly hooked and barbed--weren't Scottish pikes just long spears used in schiltrons? The weapon you portray sounds more like a halberd or voulge. And yours was the only reference I've seen to Scottish war drums.
In his sprawling novel 'Teutonic Knights', Henryk Sienkiewicz contended that there were East European archers superior to the English longbowmen, any thoughts? (I've seen mentions of English archers serving as mercenaries in Italy, Baltic Crusades, etc. Perhaps they met Poles or Wends in battle?)
Are there firm plans on when Starbuck and his merry band of Virginia, Arkansas and Florida boys will march again? We "Yanks" look forward to more gripping Civil War tales. I know I've asked a ton of questions...I'm sure I could think of more. Thanks again and keep up the stellar work for many years to come. Marc Salzano Mt. Vernon N.Y.