367 Quotes by Bernard Cornwell

We have a gaff-rigged topsail cutter, which sounds much grander than she really is, but she's exquisitely beautiful and shamefully slow and we spend a lot of time aboard when we can.

But publishers are in the business of making profits, so they love getting two books a year. They'd have three if they could.

And though I've lived in the States for over 25 years and am now an American citizen, I still hear British voices in my head.

I start early - usually by 5 am, and work through to 5 pm, with breaks for lunch, boring exercise, etc etc. But it's usually a full day.

The one thing I will not do is read other peoples' unpublished work. The reason for that is that it doesn't help.

Actually I moved to New Jersey in 1980 and didn't discover Chatham until 1990, by which time the books were selling, but it was still a daft decision, based solely on love.

I took time off last year to sail the Atlantic, and if I got more opportunities for blue-water cruising I might take them.

Not sure what I'd so with a notebook other than swat flies. If I want a break I'd rather go down to Stage Harbor and talk boats.

It just so happens that I write books, and I'm amazingly lucky that the books sell well all across the world, but even the biggest financial success will not compensate for an ill-lived life.