Dear Mr Cornwell I am writing to you having only relatively recently made the welcome acquaintance of Richard Sharpe, albeit in the wrong order; first the DVDs, then the Sharpe Appreciation Society, then the books, and then further study of the Peninsular War. Throughout the books, I have been intrigued by your relationship with the Christian faith. I have read Sharpes Story and, despite your cautionary note, I did not find Cakes and Ale offensive; rather, I was saddened that a creed which is supposed to reflect kindness and consideration towards others was so grossly distorted by The Peculiar People. I should imagine that being stripped naked and unjustly thrashed is more than likely to turn one against the ideology of the perpetrators even to the point of referring to the filth of religion. As a Christian, however, I would maintain that the grimness of The Peculiar People does not represent the genuine message of Christ, who enjoyed conviviality, even to the point of acknowledging that He was likely to be accused of being a glutton and a winebibber. It is depressingly inevitable that any creed, however principled, will frequently be let down by the shortcomings of the human beings involved; one only has to consider, not just Christianity, but also, for example, Islam and Communism. Similarly, The Peculiar Peoples aversion to military service is not Biblical. There are several references in the New Testament indicating that Christs own disciples carried swords and Christ was cheerfully well-disposed towards the Centurion whom He met. Interestingly, all of the centurions mentioned in The Gospels appear in a favourable light - it says so in the Scriptures! I do not believe that your portrayal of Christianity in the Sharpe novels is unsympathetic. Yes, there are some hypercritical, stupid and plain bad Christian characters, but this is probably not unrealistic. Conversely, the books contain some splendid, likeable and honourable Christians. The delightful Colonel McCandless is perhaps the prime example. There is also the devout and honourable, almost saintly, Major Blas Vivar. Lucilles brother, Commandant Henri Lassan, is another sincere Christian, who had hoped to enter the priesthood. Indeed, Sharpes closest friends, Harper and Hogan, both appear to be Christians, if not overtly so. Father Curtis (albeit a true person) is a brave and decent Christian. Richard Sharpe appears to be agnostic, not having belief himself, but respecting the faith of his friends such as Harper. I imagine that this attitude is not uncommon amongst soldiers, both in Sharpes time and today. With the greatest of respect, I find it difficult to believe that you would have been willing to create such likeable Christian characters if you were as totally hostile to Christianity as you may sometimes wish it to appear. With sincere regards Ian Marchant