Dear Mr Cornwell, I wish to thank you for the many hours of pleasure that reading your books has given me. I love your attention to detail, and because of that, I can almost smell the smells and hear the sounds and visualise what it would be like to stand in a shield wall or to form square. Long may your prose continue. On the subject of Sharpe’s father, although it has never bothered me until I read some other comments, could it possibly be his arch nemesis, Obadiah Hakeswill? Anyway thank you for all your good work, the only criticism I have and I am in no way qualified to do so, is that I did find the fort somewhat hard going. Apart from that, thanks again and long may you continue

David Bell