In 8th grade, I didn’t just love Mary, Queen of the Scots.  I was Mary.  I wore my Mother’s ball gown, tiara, rosary beads.  Asked my father to build me a prie deux kneeler.  (He declined.)  So Dorothy Dunnet’s  The Game of Kings should have been “the” book for me.  But over my years, I twice started the book and put

it away.  It is rare for me to give up on a book – even the most turgid 700 pages should somehow be finished.  But not that book.   About five years ago, I tried again…. And when I finished, I looked at my husband and said “this book was written for me to read, my life was waiting for this book!”

Last fall, I went on a Heyer binge.  One of the last I read was The Infamous Army.   I read it again with a map of the Waterloo battle to help me make sense of who was doing what and where.   From that fiction, I started reading all the non-fiction I could get my hands on about the Battle of Waterloo.  Me, who couldn’t have stated one fact about the entire war in Europe against the armies of Napoleon.   (Yes I could – Hitler should have learned from Napoleon.  Don’t invade Russia!)   From Waterloo, I went into every Wellington biography.   Then tried “YouTube” for movies.   I found the Sean Bean Waterloo.  I thought it was a bit silly, but …   searched “YouTube” again and found the first “Sharpe” show  – he saves Wesley’s life and is promoted to officer rank.  Now that was fun.  Aha, Wellington again.  Hmmm…   I thought do all the Sharpe books follow Arthur?

I had tried to read one of the Sharpe India books several years ago and all I can remember is the red wool itching Sharpe.   And I gave up.  I gave up on a book.  But now, I thought I am going to give this another go.   And so it started.   Less than two months ago, I started….   And I just finished.   I love my job, but I couldn’t wait to get home to read Sharpe’s next adventure.   Three days, four at the most, to read each book.

I think I am fortunate in reading the series in chronological order.  What GREAT FUN.   Once again came that feeling – reading these books is what my life has been spent preparing for.   I guess I just had to be ready!

I still haven’t read a biography of Napoleon, nor do I plan to.  This Irish-French-English-German woman is quite content with her American and British -centric history!   I am just so glad that I actually found Waterloo and Wellington and Sharpe!  Thank you Georgette Heyer, Elizabeth Longford, Jac Weller, and Bernard Cornwell.   You have taught me much and have written books so enjoyable to read.

Marie Race