Dear Bernard, I am writing in because after recently hearing that in the Maori wars in New Zealend that the famous British Bayonet met its match as a combat weapon and we were given a beating. 1)This interested me but I confess to be rather ignorant of the Maori wars and wondered if you knew any good factual books on them and whether you yourself have thought of doing a book on them???

2)On another note one of the major controversies of the Peninsular war was Beresfords conduct at Albuera which was due to the high casualty rate with Napier attacking him in particular.With your knowledge of the war why did Napier hate Beresford so much and was he right that the battle was won in spite of Beresford rather than because of him?? And will Sharpe be with the die-hards or the Fusilier brigade at that battle???

Anyway look foward to the next book btw I can recommend Richard Holmes book Sahib on the life of British soldiers in India as worth a read. All the best Tony

P.S you said about the 88th being the best regiment of the British during the Napoleonic wars but how about the 49th Nicknamed the Green Tigers the defeated not only coloums but Line attacks and faced down riflemen as well that’s quite an achievement albiet in the war of 1812 not Spain.