Hello,

Having watched every episode of Sharpe (and having also read Sharpe’s Devil), I am very curious as to what you make of the programs now, and indeed how you felt about them at the time. I’m aware that you’re very open to adaptions of your books, and that you never like interfering with the process, but I like to imagine what your initial reactions were when you sat down to watch the episodes upon their first airing. What did you think they did well with the overall style and presentation and what did you not like very much?

I ask mainly with regards to Sharpe’s Gold, an episode which everyone thinks sticks out like a sore thumb (myself included). You said in an interview at the University of Kent something to the effect of ”I’ve no idea what they were smoking when they did Sharpe’s Gold – whatever it was it certainly wasn’t legal!”

I find this absolutely hilarious! I wonder what on earth your reaction was when you watched it initially. Nigel Kneale, the scriptwriter said, ”I didn’t use much of the book, I used about the first ten pages.” This leads me to believe he rolled up the rest of the pages and used them to puff on whatever illegal herb he might have consumed to dream up the plot used in the television adaption.

Anyway best regards,

Callum