Dear Mr Cornwell I have almost completed reading Sharpe’s Tiger and am writing to let you know that I am thoroughly enjoying the book. The story line is fascinating and taut. One question: Would the British soldiers have used “ain’t”? I always thought that it was a very American expression – but I could well be wrong about that. I had not heard of your books until recently. I was researching my family tree and in a search about Seringapatam and 1799, I found a reference to your book and decided to read it. My ancestor, Thomas King, went from Scotland to India to fight for the British East India Company. He fought at Seringapatam in 1799 and then settled in Bangalore. The property that he acquired surrounds King Street which still exists in Bangalore. My father grew up there. I am Anglo-Indian (like Mary in Sharpe’s Tiger; of course, AI’s were defined only with the formation of the Constitution in 1950) – my father is an AI and my mother is from North India. My maternal grandmother’s family came from Lancashire – her father trained the Nizam of Hyderabad’s band. Two years ago I went to Bangalore to see my Grandfather’s grave. I also stopped in Seringapatam but could not get close to the old fort as we hadn’t enough time to wander. I went to school in Lucknow, India. La Martiniere College, Lucknow (and Calcutta) was founded by a French General – Claude Martin. On the main plinth of our school building is a bronze cannon – and the plaque accompanying it states that it was used in the battle at Seringapatam! (http://the-wire.com/~raga/lmc.html) So, you see, I have some sort of link to Seringapatam. Thank you for a great novel. You have done much research and it comes through in a great story. Thanks again. Regards David C King Toronto, Canada