Dear Mr Cornwell, I’d like to start by thanking you for the years of pleasure your stories have given me. My first contact with your books was at the age of 11 (I’m now 32) with Sharpe’s Eagle. I seem to remember you writing that looking back you have reservations with the finished novel of Eagle and I was wondering what specifically were you not so happy with? It’s actually one of my favourites.

Secondly, you Sharpe novels have inspired me to begin researching Britain’s other military genius Marlborough with a view to writing fiction. How do you come up with such engaging plots? Every time I feel I have an angle I recollect that you’ve got there before me! Anyway, I look forward to the continuing adventures of Mssrs Sharpe and Starbuck.
Steve Cresswell