Attended King Edward VII College, Melton Mowbray, where a hall is named after him.
Brother-in-law of writer Nick Hornby.
His most noted novels include "Fatherland" (1992), "Enigma" (1995)", "Pomepeii" (2003) and "The Ghost" (2007).
Lives with his wife Gill and their four children Holly, Charly, Mattilda and Sam in Berkshire vicarage.