The blurring of fact and fiction has great commercial potential, which is bound to be corrupting in historical terms.

I believe passionately in preemptive pessimism, especially before a book comes out. I expect the worst both from reviewers and sales, and then, with any luck, I may be proved wrong.

It was only after five years in the army, when I was having to do a very boring job in a very boring place, that I thought: 'Why not try writing a novel?' partly out of youthful arrogance and partly because there had been a long line of writers in my mother's family.

It takes me three or four years to research and write each book and the individual stories stay with you for a long time afterwards.

I just write the sort of book that I would enjoy reading myself, a book that is both scholarly and recreates the experience of people at that time.

The blurring of fact and fiction has great commercial potential, which is bound to be corrupting in historical terms.

When I was a child I had something called Perthes' Disease which meant I was on crutches, so I was bullied at school and all that sort of stuff.