I recently had occasion to re-visit “Sharpe’s Havoc” to set the mood for a slight diversion from our holiday itinerary. My long-suffering partner was expecting a picturesque drive from Northwest Portugal to the Douro valley but the magic of GPS allowed me to (eventually) reach the general location of the “Saltador” Bridge that featured in the climax to the book. A quick scramble down a cliff face and a stream bed and there it was. It’s still intact, albeit the whole area is full of huge hydro-electric projects. It’s a frighteningly narrow bridge in a very dramatic gorge – scarcely believable that Soult managed to 20,000+ men across it. You did a grand job of describing it in the novel – (very) thorough research or a vivid imagination?

Jeremy Ramsey