Dear Mister Cornwell, I just saw the final episode of “Sharpe’s War”. Very good programme. I see that you will be starting upon another Sharpe novel and possibly more. Will his father’s identification be revealed? I just want to ask you this question: In Sharpe’s Rifles when Sharpe finally speaks to Harper, Sharpe claims he did not want to be a Sergeant and hated the life and people but in Tiger he asks General Baird for the promotion in return for escorting William Lawford to Seringapatam to save McCandless. Was this an error or possibly a white lie by Sharpe to win Harper over? I also noticed that the French invasion of Ireland on August 22nd 1798 is also an unknown topic in military history. It brought great morale to the broken and scattered pikemen of the rebel forces to hear that the second attempt was successful and that the French had pushed the garrisoned yeomenry from Connaught. The first being the disastrous Bantry Bay mission under Admiral Hoche in December 1796. It is also unknown that a French landing occured in Tory Island off Donegal’s rocky coast in September of 98 just as General Humbert and his men had been surrounded by the forces of General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Ballanahinch. This invasion didn’t even take off and the force returned to Brest port. In October 1798 the famous Irish martyr Theobald Wolfe Tone the founder of modern Irish Republicism which sprouted from the French uprising of 1789 also led an invasion force into Lough Swilly near Derry but was intercepted by the Royal Navy and Tone was arrested and imprisoned in Dublin Castle where he committed suicide. Did you also know that Sir John Moore of the retreat of Corunna (Rifles) was a Brigidier-General for the British Forces during the Wexford Uprising of May-July 1798. He retook the town of Wexford and defeated the rebels at Foulkesmill’s only five miles from where Jfk’s ancestors came from. Moore was known to the Irish as the soundest man of the lot. He let the rebels split after Vinegar hill and did not believe in strict persecution against the Irish unlike General Gerard Lake. You should look more into 1798. It is an interesting period of Ireland’s first civil War and it would be a privelage to read a book about our proud rising with your name on the front. Trust me, that era is in the heart of every Wexford man woman and child still and a project like that has never been done before. You should fulfill our dream and truelly make a masterpiece about the war that cost 35000 casualties in those summer months. Another question is about Girdwood from Regiment. He states that he was ambushed in a bog in Ireland. Would that ambush relate to our ‘Glorious but unsuccessful uprising’ He states he was a young officer at the time? If you would like to read more about 1798 in Ireland you should read Thomas Packenham’s Year of Liberty and Daniel Gahan “1798 in Wexford” It is interesting. It would cause no difficulties especially in Ireland’s current peace movement. It seems your books are not entirely biased and that is not harmful. Thanks a million. Colum O’Rourke. Erin go breagh.