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I try to write about things, places, events, and phenomena I know about personally. That helps make the novels more genuine.

My novels come from within me; they are things I feel I want to do.

A novelist needs to know his own strong points and weak points.

Many writers are radical. I am not, because of my age and because of my terrible fear of demagogy.

My novels are all ideas.

I write about the things I feel strongly about.

I'm a novelist, that's how I make my livelihood, and I concentrate on the novels.

I write novels, mostly historical ones, and I try hard to keep them accurate as to historical facts, milieu and flavor.

I always tell my students, 'If you walk around with your eyes and ears open, you can't possibly live long enough to write all the novels you'll encounter.'