Dear Bernard,
Thank you for your reply to my query about your books and film adaptations. Alas, i am not a fan of Crime Novels, although i have read a few in my time.
My genre has in my early life been Westerns and then Science Fiction and Fantasy, followed by some chap called Cornwell!
I am fascinated by this word “Wyrd” which i think rules our lives much more than we realise. My Grandfather fought at the Battle of Neuve Chappelle in the first world war where he was left for dead on the battlefield after his Regiment, The Cameronians were slaughtered trying to cross the wire that our Guns were supposed to have removed.
That leads me to a question that i’m sure many of your fans have asked you which is “What If”?
What if Napoleon had won at Waterloo, could he really have hoped to oppose the whole of Europe including Russia? Could Robert E Lee have won the Civil War if Gettysburg had gone his way, given the absolute superiority of the forces opposing him? If, Alfred has been defeated would we have become a different nation and not created a commonwealth or fought the Germans in 2 world Wars?
My family story is quite fascinating to me, but i am sure not unique. I have always wanted to write it all down but would anyone else be interested?
Histories and Biographies are mostly written about famous and wealthy people “our betters” one might say, but their histories would not have been written without the co-operation of the masses, such as Wellingtons troops at Waterloo.
I am very much looking forward to reading your new Sharpe Novel, but i must say that you must be a very fast typist if you can time to reply to all these messages and write your books as well!
Thank you for your time and keep those books coming, your fans need you in these difficult times.
John Blackmore