Sir, - John Boland asserted (Bookworm, October 4th) that Before the Dawn by Gerry Adams "didn't do as well as expected, with sales adversely affected by the breakdown of the first IRA ceasefire." This is untrue. Ironically, the truth was carried for the last year in your own book pages, in the bestseller lists, where it maintained an exceptionally lengthy presence in the top five in hardback from September 1996 until April 1997, and in paperback from June to September 1997. It was also a great success internationally and was translated into German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and Greek - Yours, etc.
Dingle, Co Kerry.