I’m a tyro writer having a bad day! I have read all the Sharpe books and avidly await the latest. Thanks for the pleasure and the inspiration. Your page of hints to writers is solid common sense,and very salutary, and thanks for that. I fear I have literary pretensions and an insufficient appreciation of the importance of narrative. Your bit about filleting other books is essential: I’ve done it with yours! I expect you know The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell -always found that a cracking good example as well. I worked at the National Army Museum in the late 70s and used to lecture a lot about the Peninsula war: I got to fire a Brown Bess, but never,alas, a Baker! I’d better get back to what I should be writing -I do enjoy it most of the time. Thanks again, for both yr books and well-judged public profile via website, appearances etc. John Cooper