Dear Mr Cornwell, thank you for your Saxon Stories. So far, I’ve read the “Lords of the North” and preceding, and I will buy following novels as well. It might be of interest for you that I am German. I never was much interested in these stories, since I saw the novels I had read so far about the Norse people (among many others: “Roede Orm”; The Story of Skalden Egil” “The Story of the strong Grettir”) as a mere pass-time for adolescents – and I was an adolescent when I read them. The urgent advice to read your Saxon series came from my father, who is, by now, 80 years old. He was always fascinated by the Northerner’s Sagas and I am writing this mail also on behalf of him. I dare say I regard my father and me not as completely untaught in these “Norse” stories, since they had, especially during darker times in recent German history, a real come-back – which, mostly, persists, even if people despite knowing are not aware of it (often, people in Germany read Beowulf, but under a different name). My father and I like the demanding twists in your stories and – mostly forgotten – also the description of the harsh reality in those times. Another thing I wanted communicate was the appalling coincidence of some of the saxon words you cite with German language. Strangely enough, Scaedungengan is the Saxon word for “Schattengänger” in German (Pronounced in English: Shattengayngeer). The Saxon word for boar reminds me of “Eber” (“Eebahr”) in German. Just wanted to tell you that both my father and I consider you to be an excellent novelist, who managed to keep my father and me independently awake at night – and laugh about Ivar the boneless (just because of the name). Thank you for your novels, and your research about the ancestors is both appreciated and scrutinized. I still don’t believe your story of Ragnar wearing a helmet with eagle wings. This happens only when Wagner writes music. Or not? Please continue Writing Bye Konrad