Dear Bernard After reading on your website that you might not get Sharpe to Albuera, I had to write in,Speaking a fan of your work please please reconsider. Albuera was argubly the toughest, bloodiest (and from a readers perspective dramatic) stand up struggle in the Peninsular war and since it must be admitted that Soult out generalled Beresford it really showed the qualties of “that astonshing infantry” who won the battle and who did not know when they were beaten. It would seem a crime for Sharpe to miss that one in my humble opinion. I would also ask if you had ever given any thought of Sharpe going up against Suchet on the East coast?? On a change of subject In regards to the Starbuck series your books got me interested in the US Civil War and after reading several books I got interested about battles in the west and some of the famous names (on the Southern side) like Bedford Forrest (Real life Cavalry version of Sharpe??) and Patrick Cleburne as well as the more famous Northern opponents (Grant/Sherman/Thomas etc) ever thought of sending Starbuck to some of the Western battles or fight with the Army of Tennesse??? Finally after reading Pierre Bertons Flames Across the Border about the War of 1812. Do you know any good books to reccommend on James Fitzgibbon and the Bloody Boys. They seemed rather like Sharpe and the Choosen Men in some ways. Anyway thanks for your time and I can recommend Stopping Napoleon by Tom Pocock which deals with the war in the Med post Trafalgur and how Italy and not Spain was seen as were the Peninsular war might be. And Shipwreck of our Hopes by Peter Cozzens which is about the battle of Chattanoogga. Tony