I am glad to hear that the Uhtred saga will continue – I was getting a bit twitchy about this.  Roll on the end of the year.

On the subject of composite bows I remember reading in a book on archery I bought about 55 years ago, that composite bows as used by the Mongols, failed in a maritime climate.  The glue used to bind the laminates was made from hide and was water based. The climate in the UK was so damp that the glue would soften and the bow would fail.  It was one of the reasons given why the Mongols never reached the west coast of Europe.

I was fascinated by “the Fort”.  This part of history seems to be unknown and got me involved in reading more about this period in UK/US history.
It is rather satisfying to quote this episode to our American cousins who are forever boasting about defeating the Redcoats.. At least, it keeps them quiet for a while !

Tom Cameron