Dear Mr Cornwell, I am just writing to congratulate you on a truly magnificent account of the British history throughout several key periods. During my youth I had never cared for reading aside from magazines and the occasional newspaper. It was per chance that I was taken by the cover of The Winter King, that I discovered your Arthur series. In the years following, my passion for reading has become insatiable, in particular fiction based on history. I am now hooked on your novels and was completely engrossed in the Thomas of Hookton series and now enjoying the more famous Sharpe books. Although English born and bred, I have been living in Sydney, Australia with my partner for the past seven years and your stories are able to pluck distant memories of growing up in the English countryside. I realise you must be exceptionally busy (and happy for it as it means more reading in the future), but I would love to know how much location research you do before a book? Is your research purely academic or have you actually had a go at shooting a Longbow before writing Harlequin for example? Thankyou once again for the huge amount of enjoyment you’ve given me and the friends I’ve introduced your novels too. Regards, Jon.