Dear Bernard. Am finishing of Sword Song which I am enjoying immensely. But it has raised an interesting question if Uhtred went up against Finan who would win since they both seem very great swordsmen! Btw more of Stepa in future books please he is a great character and like Harper to Sharpe and Truslow to Starbuck is a great partner for Uhtred. BTW at the moment Uhtred is in the south when are you going to get him back up north where the adventure is??????

P.S If you ever do another archer novel Any chance of writing about the battle’s against the Scots or the various civil wars in England why just stick with the french who it must be said were a poor enemy until Joan of Arc came along??? And finally I know you have said you do not want to get Sharpe to the war of 1812 but Sharpe is a rifleman supposedly best of the best yet Sharpe has never met another rifleman which the Americans had and the French did not. Surely he can only be the best if fights and beats the best ie other riflemen. If a football team claimed to be the best in England with out beating one of the big 4 they would be laughed out the room surely the same applies to Sharpe. Yours sincerely Tony P.S If you have not read them Fix Bayonets and Charge a welch fusiler at war by Donald.e.Graves and By Fire and Sword by Peter Ried on warfare during the hundred yrs war both worth reading.