My Spanish publishers didn't hang about. A Brief History of the Samurai was only published a few months ago, but the Spanish rights were sold while it was still in galleys, and it now joins Wu, The First Emperor of China, The Moon in the Pines, Chinese Life, Mao and two books on Vikings in Spanish editions. It does feel quite weird to have eight books out in a single foreign territory, with bio blurbs that describe me as el historiador Jonathan Clements.

Wu, incidentally, is now out in Spain in paperback, and has the following kick-ass review from someone called Martinez Shaw: «Este obra demuestra que un buen libro de historia puede ser más apasionante que la mayoría de las novelas históricas»*

I am clearly much more loved in Spain than I am in France, where only one of my books has been translated. And not loved at all in Sweden. Come on, Sweden. Everybody else in Europe has bought the rights to at least one of my books… was it something I said about Vikings…?

(*"This work shows that a good history book can be more exciting than most historical novels" Don't get me started…)