"sarum" was published in 1987 and became an instant international best-seller, remaining for 23 weeks on the new york times bestseller list. since then he produced seven more new york times best-sellers: "russka", a novel of russia; "london"; "the forest", set in england's new forest which lies close by sarum; two novels, "" ("the princes of ireland") and "" ("the rebels of ireland"), which cover the story of ireland from the time just before saint patrick to the twentieth century; "new york"; and "paris".