Dear Bernard I have just finished reading the entire Sharpe series in chronological order, short stories and all, right from Tiger to Devil (first time I re-read that one and enjoyed it far more than the first time round) I must admit I still don’t see Sean Bean in the role although I love him as an actor. I’ve whined to you about this before but whilst reading the series I found it rather disconcerting to get to the newer additions to the series because you obviously are imagining him speaking with a Sheffield accent and especially after he meets Harper and in the new books he starts calling Harper Pat all the time ah la Sean Bean! It was always Patrick before. I’m glad he’s still as ruthless and indestructible as before though because Sean Bean made him more vulnerable and that didn’t suit my image of him from the books. I suppose Sean Bean decided he had to make him more accessible and thus made him nicer but I think I prefer him as a thug. I mean, You know he’s a rogue and does some terrible things but he has a good moral core if you like so you can forgive him anything. I guess it’s always going to be a case of whichever you experience first you prefer to what you experience later. In other words if you read the book first any film or TV adaptation will not measure up and perhaps vice versa. Out of interest I agree with another fan writing in that Brian Cox was an excellent Hogan. I would add that in my opinion David Troughton made a much more convincing Wellington than (or milord Wellesley!) than Hugh Fraser who got a bit too matey. Much more convincingly cold and austere. I did bring all this up before and you simply replied that you were grateful the TV films had been made. I can understand that but I was hugely disappointed in them for the reasons mentioned and also because of the tiny budget, Talavera with eight blokes on either side! I know. there’s no pleasing some people is there! If only there was still the will and the funding to make big British war films we might realise the dream of Talavera or Salamanca on the grand scale and wouldn’t that be something!? (At least Spielberg is making War Horse at the moment so that’s one to look forward to) Anyway I’m grateful the Sharpes were made too as otherwise we wouldn’t have had the later novels all of which are wonderful. Can I ask one thing though as a favour to an old fan? When the next book comes (Sharpe in Paris after Waterloo I hear a rumour?) can he go back to calling Harper Patrick? I know it’s daft and I know you loved Sean Bean’s portrayal hence the nod to it in the later books but I loved the portrayal of Sharpe in the first novels so much that I can never get my head around the idea of him suddenly developing a broad Yorkshire accent so I always try to zone out the obvious northern colloquialisms in the later books! No, no he’s from London! he was only in Sheffield for a few years, stop it! All right Maybe half Pat and half Patrick then?

I hasten to add that this is nit picking out of interest to what you’ll make of it all. Sharpe has evolved in his strange way because of the circumstances of his creation and I’m obviously aware of the difficulties of interweaving two series into one. This is my absolute favourite series and you are far and away and always have been my favourite author and I do read a prodigious amount. I have made one quite unreasonable request which I fully accept you will treat with the contempt it richly deserves. I now finish with a question. You have written that you have little affection for the Victorians but could you ever conceive of writing a new saga based around Sharpe’s descendants? Lucille could easily bear another son who opts for the Rifle Brigade and both he and French cavalryman brother Patrick would have a fine selection of conflicts to get embroiled in. Just a thought. Right,I am bereft. No more Sharpe to read for the time being at least. What am I going to read now? Scarrow’s latest Napoleon Vs Wellington book. Should be good but it won’t be quite the same… Good luck with your foray into the theatre! Best wishes as always Rob Comber