I read all of Rider Haggard's books. For me he had the romance of Africa with a little bit of mysticism. I'm delighted to be looked on as his heir and be categorised as an adventure novelist because that's exactly what I am.

I shot my first lion at the age of 14 when a pride threatened my father's livestock while he was away on holiday.

Every time one of my books sells a million copies in paperback, Pan Macmillan gives me a gold statuette of Pan. I have about 20 of them.

When I vacate this sack of old bones I won't care what you do with it. Bury or burn it but don't make much fuss.

My first novel was rejected by some of the most eminent publishers in the world. Starting again was a real wrench.

Litigation only makes lawyers fat.

Let it simply be said that we know more about the details of the hours immediately before and the actual death of Jesus, in and near Jerusalem, than we know about the death of any other one man in all the ancient world.