Dear Mr. Cornwell, I thought it about time to add my praises to the bulletin board. Having stumbled upon one of the Starbuck Chronicles by chance in my local library some 6 or 7 years ago was the best thing that can happen to someone from a “reading-perspective”! However, my true interest lies in the Dark Ages, and especially the Viking Age. I await “The Last Kingdom” with great expectation, the first chapter is great and somewhat reminiscent of “The Warlord Chronicles” (with an older man looking back at the story, giving additional “meta-information” so to speak…very cleverly done). The Warlord Chronicles rank among my most favourite books ever, a place only shared with the ubiquitous Lord of the Rings! The depth of the story, the grim world, the humour and the intensity of the battles are unsurpassed…at least, before having read the Last Kingdom. Another advantage is that I learn a few new English words in every book (I`m Dutch). I also have a question: besides reading I also paint 28 millimeter miniatures as a hobby, especially Viking Miniatures (I`ve already reserved one to act as Uhtred). The funny thing is that these two hobbies are more interconnected than one would expect at first glance: you can recreate battles with those mini`s (“wargaming”) and I have seen some photographs of a recreated battle of Mynedd Baddon, including Dervel`s wolftails with 4 and 5 pointed stars on their shields! Do you know that your books (especially the Warlord Chronicles) are quite famous with, and inspirational for, wargamers? Maarten Mulder