Dear Mr. Cornwell: I am a 53 year old chef in Sausalito California. I am also a diabetic and have to take long walks every evening to keep my blood sugar down. During these ambles I have spent many happy hours listening to your historical fiction. I want to thank you for excellent work. It seems most books these days are written by and for women ala Oprahs’ Book selections. Most head librarians are women as well and they freight their shelves with these tomes and seem to frown on anything with a martial bent. I am not a bellicose man but I find history more accessible in a story format and I can relate to the problems encountered while leading a group of men in a stressful and often unrewarding situation albeit only a busy kitchen, not a battlefield. I am listening to Sharpes’ Havoc now and am impressed with how your already superlative prose has mellowed and improved. It must be a temptation to just crank these things out but Havoc is an excellently crafted work with a wonderfully complex villain. Patrick Tull is also my favorite narrator, but David Case is a close second. Thanks again for your dedication and skill. Respectfully Yours, Phil Collins