Hi Bernard, I deployed overseas earlier this year to Afghanistan with the Australian Army and after reading the few books I had managed to stuff into my baggage at the last moment I became very bored. That is until my boss started on about the Sharpe series, so I asked my wife to start sending them over one by one. I have to say Sharpe is a frigg’n legend!! I am thoroughly enjoying your books and am ploughing through Sharpe’s Company at the moment. I am hoping against hope that Obadiah ends in a very sticky, violent way :) Up until recently David Gemmell was my favourite author. You may have known David, I had read his books since I was 12 years old. When he died in 2006 it hit me surprisingly hard (almost as if I had known him personally). He is a sad loss and he will remain one of my favourite authors until I die, that I can guarantee. But I just wanted to say that for me I now rate you up there with David Gemmell, I have enjoyed and am enjoying your books and once the Sharpe series is finished I will be moving onto Azincourt first (have always loved that battle, and always thought they should make a movie of it (other than Brannag’s version as written by Shakespeare)), and then onto the others. Forgive me if that sounds like an arse kiss, it isn’t intended to be, it’s just that stories that interest me are few and far between. David had that grounded, gritty, realistic style in his books that a lot of other authors don’t and never will have. But it was refreshing for me to find that you have that same gritty, grounded style too. Best of luck and keep em coming! :) Regards, Keith.