Dear Mr Cornwell, I’m a student of Anglo-Saxon history at King’s College London. I just wanted to thank you for your Saxon Stories, which I frequently turn to in order to fire up my enthusiasm for the subject. In the spirit of giving something back, if you ever feel the need to read 10,000 carefully chosen words on the topic of late anglo-saxon fortifications, I am most probably your man. The problem with writing about this interesting topic from a boringly academic point of view is that absolutely nobody wants to read about it. I envy you your blood and guts. Many thanks, Aidan