We’re all good when it suits us, he used to say: that doesn’t count. It’s when you want so badly to do something wrong—when you’re about to make a fortune from a dishonest deal, or kiss the lovely lips of your neighbor’s wife, or tell a lie to get yourself out of terrible trouble—that’s when you need the rules. Your integrity is like a sword, he would say: you shouldn’t wave it until you’re about to put it to the test.

Why do you have to be the same as the others? ...Most of them are stupid.

There is no point in asking a man a question until you have established whether he has any reason to lie to you.

I went and looked at one of these great cathedrals one day, and I was blown away by it. From there I became interested in how cathedrals were built, and from there I became interested in the society that built the medieval cathedral. It occurred to me at some point that the story of the building of a cathedral could be a great popular novel.

One of the hardest things for me, now that I'm famous, is finding people who can read my stuff and give me an honest critique.

He had been granted his life's wish-but conditionally.

I like reading history, and actually most authors enjoy the research part because it is, after all, easier than writing.