Dear Bernard Cornwell, OBE: May I salute you as such, or must I wait until it has officially been awarded to you by the Queen? At least you now know how your future salutations will appear. A friend of mine recently introduced me to your work when he loaned me ‘The Last Kingdom’. I read it in the course of three days. For weeks, I scoured the local library for ‘The Pale Horseman’, but it was such a popular title, I was only able to check it out last Thursday. Saturday night, before I took my wife out on a date, I finished it as she was applying her make up. Now, I am debating whether or not to order ‘The Lords of the North’ from Amazon UK. I don’t think I can wait until it’s January 2007 release. I will be purchasing the other two, also. I had not read a book I truely could not put down in the longest time, and for that I thank you. I plan to start the Sharpe series soon as well. From what I gather, it seems more of your fans start out reading the Sharpe series than the Saxon series, but I’m glad to have discovered your work nonetheless. Break a leg, Duncan! If I can get out to Chatham in August, I might just try to see your performance. I live in the Boston area, so it might be a day trip for us. My wife and I stayed at the Chatham Bars Inn for our anniversary a few years ago, in April, and the tranquility of an early spring makes you realize why people choose to live on the Cape year round. Do you find yourself escaping the tourist season, or do you enjoy a crowded beach? Keep on writing! Thanks again entertaining, and teaching me some history at the same time. Yours truly, Eric Olson