Hello Mr Cornwell; I would like to take this opportunity to commend the books you have written and published, especially the series of Saxon books and the Grail Quest. I find your research very good and as an academic myself I often wonder how you actually remain so accurate throughout. I have recently re-read the Uthred saga and actually found myself looking for any inaccuracies. I only found one slight one in which you describe Uthred preparing for battle and slipping his arm through the straps of his war shield and holding his Seax with a shield hand. However was it not the case that shield design of the day constituted a central grip behind the boss? if this was the case then holding the handle of the short-sword (wasp sting) would have been problematical to say the least and very unlikely in a battle of that time. I am being picky I know so please forgive me as I do immensely enjoy your work and they offer an absolute release for for me from the turgid and dry text I work with on a daily basis.

I really found your work (Azincourt) quite faultless in its research and as my hobby is Archery I connected with the hero immediately. In the UK at the moment there are whispering s of a BBC production on the book is there any substance? Anyway thanks for the works as they certainly take the keener edge off my days

David Farley