Bernard – I enjoy your books immensly. I particularly appreciate the historic accuracy of SHARPE and STARBUCK series. I was somewhat disappointed in ‘A Crowning Mercy’ which gives a rather stereotypical depiction of Puritans. They were just evangelicals of the 17th century. Whilst it is to admitted that some of them were extreme, to just tar them all with the same brush of dourness and repression is a gross misrepresentation – which I (as an evangelical Christian of today) do not appreciate. They promoted the arts, education and commerce, and for the most part were good and simple people. (e.g. Guy – who founded Guys hospital, was a puritan). They were passionate about their religion and Bible when the papists were no less so about the pope and Roman Catholicism. I feel that that you have spoilt a good read for me by the historic inaccuracy and sweeping generalisations of this novel. However, as your boat in America is called ‘Royalist’, I can see where you are coming from! Incidentally, only a minority of Puritans had short cropped hair – mostly in the army. Disappointed of Erith in Kent – Peter Millist