Hello Bernard,

I hope you are well and had a good Christmas and New Year.

I’ve enjoyed your books ever since a friend at Aberdeen University loaned me ‘Harlequin’ back in 2004. I confess, I felt bad during ‘Vagabond’ because I was rooting for Thomas and the English at Neville’s Cross, despite me being a Scot! The truth is the Bruces weren’t very nice to us Buchan folk (see the ‘Harrying of Buchan’) and we’re still not big on them 700 years later!

I really enjoyed your foray into non-fiction with your book on Waterloo. I’m from Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire, and Alexander Fraser, the 17th Lord Saltoun was one of the soldiers (a captain at the time, I think) who helped defend Hougomont. There’s a statue of him above the door of our townhouse – something I hadn’t realised the significance of until you piqued my interest in the battle. So, thank you for that.

I know you are working on Sharpe for your next book, but wondered if you had any plans, or a desire, for any more works of non-fiction on a different period of history?

Liam Bowie