Dear Bernard First let me say I bought Sword song yesterday and finished it today and thought it was fantastic with a cracking pace. Easily the best of the Viking books so far and let me congratulate you on an excellent book. In relation to it I wondered if you when you next tour if you will ever get to Chester (Selfishly if for no other reason so that I can get my copy signed) but a city still that is rich in military history all the same You can still the damage in the Roman walls from Parliamentarian cannon.

Sword Song also seems to suggest that in future Uhtred will be fighting the welsh and Scots is that true ?? (and speaking as someone who is half welsh bring him on!)

As for your next work will it be the rather open secret of Agincourt or a musket novel??? Although I hope you do not mind me saying it seemed a rather one sided fight with a small but veteran and disciplined army taking on and beating a large but motley hoard who were in the middle of a civil war (hard not to see the English as the bad guys in that fight).

And finally in regards to Sharpe he has served under Graham at Barossa any chance of him fighting with him at his last fight at Bergen-op-Zoom???? I think Wellington himself was surprised how after getting into that place the British managed to get kicked out.##

Finally I wondered if you had ever thought about the 1775/6 siege of Quebec It had some of the best fighters on both sides Arnold/Morgan/Carleton etc and was pretty epic While Carleton seemed rather similar to Wellington in that he was and Irish Protestant commanding fighting in a Catholic country and never lost a battle against an invader. Anyway Congrats again on an excellent book. Geraint