Dear Mr. Cornwell,
I have just finished the entire Richard Sharpe series and the entire time I kept thinking how Sharpe and Harper reminded me so much of the adventures of C.S. Forester’s Hornblower and Bush that I read as a child 50 years ago. I must say you have equaled if not bettered Forester’s Hornblower whom I have reread many times over for the shear joy of reading beautifully written stories. While Sean Bean was my first introduction to Sharpe, my first encounter with your writing was the wonderfully bloodthirsty pagan Uhtred. Only recently did I start on Sharpe beginning with the original series and then filled in the rest. I kept wondering, what did happen at Assaye? Now I know, as a history major in college I really appreciate the attention to detail how you weave historical fact and fiction together beautifully. I just wanted you to know the joy I got and still cherish from C.S. Forester’s books as a boy have been reinstilled by your writing, Sharpe, Harper and Uthred now join Hornblower and Bush in my pantheon of heros. I can’t thank you enough. I hope life finds you and family well and happy.
Thank you.
David Sumners