Dear Mr Cornwell –

I am an old guy coming to the end of my life span. I started reading your books way back with Sea Lord. I have purchase and read all the War Lord books and every book about Uther ap Uther. I have walked at the shoulder of Uther with Sihtric, Finan and Osbert and the others. I love the Uther character, his warriorship, his colourful language, and his battle cunning, and of course.his great good fortune. I have risked becoming like Uther to the point where I encounter someone worthy of being called “bastard”.. My mouth says “bastard” but my mind says “earsling!”  I would like to say to you sir, a huge “thank you” for bringing these books into my life. I have had years of absorption and enjoyment from them, ahead of many other life experiences.

I wish you well. Where I go now doesn’t matter. I have no Serpent Breath or Ice-Spite for a key to Valhalla, and I am far from saintly. The three norns are bitches, but I don’t care. Wyrd bid ful araed !!!

In my last message (earlier today) I referred to my literary hero as Uther. Of course I meant Uhtred Uhtredson of Bebbanburg Castle, Northumbria. Silly of me.. age, and the onset of mini memory delay. I repeat my extreme gratitude for your fine works. I watched a travel doc. a couple of weeks ago about Whitby and nearby. When the narrator talked about Bamborough Castle, I said “no- that’s Bebbanburgh” and when he talked about Lindisfarne… I said “No, that’s Lindisfaerena, the Sacred Isle”, where the Norse slaughtered the monks. If you are ever in New Zealand, I would enjoy meeting you, and perhaps share a fine ale in the sun by the Pacific Ocean.

Kind regards

Bill Jenner