I feel slightly uneasy at the way historians are consulted as if history is going to repeat itself. It never does.

To begin impatiently is the worst mistake a writer can make

When I was younger I used to get my best writing done at night, but now it has to be during the day. I usually finish work at half past seven, then go back to the house to open a bottle of wine, have dinner, and then read or watch television.

The duty of a historian is simply to understand and then convey that understanding, no more than that.

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.

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 am not someone who believes I am going to find a historical scoop.