Dear Bernard, I have enjoyed your Sharpe books so much I am now listening to the audiobooks to prolong my time with Sharpe, Harper and your other characters. I have viewed the TV movies but feel the producers should not have substituted their own storylines for yours. One advantage to coming to your books late, was that I could read them in chronological order. I find your later books very rich and your writing has matured, as has Sharpe. He was very irritating in the India books – I’m glad Europe made him grow up. I have recently been watching (via YouTube, as like you I live now in the US) a BBC3 series called MI-5/Spooks and I think the new leading man, Richard Armitage would make an excellent Sharpe, if and I certainly hope they do, new TV movies are made of your new books. The latest Sharpe’s Peril and Challenge are hogwash. They need to get back to YOUR books : ) and I know I’ll be targeted for saying so but I think Sean Bean needs to hang up his chausseur’s boots, Baker rifle and heavy cavalry sword. Mr. Armitage has a northern accent, and dark hair, and is tall and thin like you wrote Sharpe to be. Also handsome of course … I have 3 sons between the ages of 8-4 and they know Mommy is in love with Sharpe and Horatio Hornblower (they never call him just Hornblower, always Horatio Hornblower) and I was just asked by the 4 year old whom I preferred. Sharpe of course, Hornblower was too neurotic and self-conscious. I’m glad you gave Sharpe a happy ending (he always fared much better with the European ladies)he deserved it. With much affection and high regard Alison