I am just writing for two reasons.

1) To express gratitude and appreciation. I love your work. I read all the Sharpe’s novels when I was a boy and fell in love with the roguish adventure. I admired Sharpe’s ability to inspire and command. As someone who found himself in leadership roles frequently, I sought to emulate, not always with the same success as the fictional hero. That said, I still found a lot of wonderful lessons. Plus, I was a stereotypical boy who enjoyed stories of the ideal warrior adventuring to save the day. I admit that it took a while for me to see Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe since I read the novels prior to watching the series, but I love the actor for the role now. I have read Agincourt and plan to read your series that takes place in the Arthurian age, as well as the Last Kingdom (saw the TV series, but did not read the books… yet)

2) I thought you would find it interesting that half of my heritage is anglo-norman. I am descended from Sir William De Noyes (or Noyers or something of the like). My ancestor came to England from Normandy in 1066 as retainers and advisors in the Duke’s army. They received lands thereafter and, over generations, eventually lost or diluted their wealth. Hopkinson is my other English ancestral name, though I don’t know of any individual achievements or evens there, only that they left England as religious pilgrims to settle in the new world, fought on the “wrong” side of the American Revolution, and settled in Maine and became prominent potato farmers. My family has always appreciated history and ancestry, but my parents encouraged tales of the past to be told with a touch of adventure and perspective.

At any rate, thank you for your work – it is greatly appreciated and impacted my childhood greatly.

If you ever make your way to WNY, look me up.

Matthew (Mateo) Escobar