Dear Mr Cornwell

I believe I was 11 when I was first introduced to ‘Sharpe’ and now 12 years on I am still every bit of the fan. You were even so kind as to reply to one of my emails many years ago – I asked you about the order in which I had to read the series as naively I went by the order of the television series. Everything was going fine until you released ‘Sharpe’s Havoc’ that threw a spanner into the works and I got the order mixed up again! Fear not, it remains my favourite story.

My first question though, why the 95th regiment?

I will be taking a trip to Bruges in a few weeks and have promised myself to visit Waterloo. I was hoping for a bit of advice as to anything you found particularly interesting about the battlefield today and any recommendations you might have?

You have truly influenced my interest in history sir, more so than my interest in literature. It gives me great pleasure in this sometimes mad world we live in but thanks to you and your writing it makes it all just that little bit easier.

I wish you all the best and, of course, a ‘Happy Easter’.

Kind regards

Joseph Barber
23
Cardiff