Bernard – I started serial reading with Simon Black, Sherlock Holmes and a disgraceful number of WW2 books as well as James Bond and the whole Bolitho genre and any other RN battles under sail. I was first captivated by Richard Sharpe in Sharpe’s Waterloo which set the hares running for anything I could find about Waterloo and, of course, Sharpe and his travails. I’ve just finished re-reading Sharpe’s’ Tiger and and loved your Author’s Notes. The notes make Sharpe even more real – as much as Sherlock Holmes is alive and well and living in 221B Baker Street. Many thanks for the ongoing pleasure of your Sharpe books especially. My son is also addicted. Ken