Hallo, I just discovered your Saxon stories and I’m really enjoying them: not something many Irishmen would admit to! I studied Old English and Old Norse Literature at university, and needless to say, its not often such enjoyable novels as yours come along set in the time period and cultures that I find so interesting. At first I thought you had perhaps misunderstood how close the English and what they referred to as “the Danes” would have been at the time, both linguistically and culturally, but I’ve just read the bit in “The Pale horseman” with the Frisians in the marketplace baiting a Dane and I thought: You know, Cornwell has got it got it spot on. They looked like each other, their language was very similar, their cultural roots were identical, but they regarded each other as “hateful foreigners” (to quote an old English poem). Sounds a bit weird, but to someone like me who grew up in northern Ireland, its something i see everyday. Anyway: great work, keep it up please! I hope Uhtred’s life and career is (was?) as long and glorious and Mr Sharpe’s. One question: As “Britain’s storyteller” (as your website says) one era you haven’t touched on is the English Civil War. Any plans/interests if that conflict?

Tim Hodkinson