I realize that I had always in my heart of hearts planned to write a biography of Marie Antoinette.

It can be a long gap between the emergence of fully researched historical biographies.

The clue to book jacket photography is to look friendly and approachable, but not too glamorous.

My mother was a politician in my formative years.

I think there's a tremendous split between people who've been through a war and people who haven't.

As long as you persecute people, you will actually throw up terrorism.

Mary Queen of Scots was my first love, and that is always something special.