Dear Mr Cornwell, having read the wonderful Arthur and Uhtred novels I promised myself that I would read the Starbuck books, this being a particular interest of mine. I was wondering if you ever watched the the outstanding series of documentaries by Ken Burns called The Civil War. I had, and found them a great aid when reading about Nate, Truslow and compatriots. To be able to visualise places, faces and battle grounds was wonderful. Your portrayal of General George B McClellan was right on the button. One of my favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln said of McClellan “If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time.” After the final chapter of The Bloody Ground I was totally exhausted, thanks for the happy hours up to my eyes in blood and guts!!

John Cummings