Dear Mr. Cornwell: I have read the Warlord series, Stonehenge, Gallows Thief, and most of the Sharpes, and Grail Quest. Now I’ve started on the Starbuck. It is as awesome as most of the rest. I should say, however, that I was born raised in Fairfax County, a few miles from Manassas, and I am sure that ordinary people there don’t use the word “shall” as you had them do, and they didn’t then, either. Here’s a question. I know you write historical fiction, but you did do prehistory in Stonehenge. Have you heard of Ballard’s expedition a few years ago that showed how the Black Sea was once a freshwater lake that was flooded when the Isthmus of Bosporus burst? This happened around 5000 b.c., and possible connections to the ancient great flood stories are tantalizing. I think there’s more: Ballard found evidence of human settlement (in wooden structure) I believe there may have been a proto-civilization there. The flood would have made them pack up and leave, but not killed them (it advanced 100 feet per day I think). I think they’re a likely candidate to be the Indo-Europeans; semi-civilized, forced to move suddenly in all directions as refugees, advanced enough to survive when they got there. I know it’s not about England, but I think there’d be a great story in there for you to write. P.S. Sharpe has just about everything a soldier should have: Rifles, a Battle, a Sword, Gold, Havoc, etc. I could be wrong but has he got cannons yet? He needs to have critical use of artillery in some sort of adventure. Dan Pulju