One of Britain’s best-selling modern novel writers, Robert Harris is best-known for his works of historical fiction.

From Fatherland and The Ghost to Conclave, which was recently adapted into an Oscar-winning film, the author is best known for his historical fiction.

A few years ago the 68-year-old shared what his favourite novel of the last 225 years was.

And given that he shot to success with his alternative-history Fatherland, set in a world where Nazi Germany won World War 2, his choice should come as little surprise.

Speaking with WHSmith, Harris shared: “It’s very hard to pick out one favourite out of all the books you’ve ever read because you read books for different reasons. Some are just funny; some remind you of a particular period in your life. I think the book that changed me the most was George Orwell’s 1984 and I would probably pick that as the book that I most enjoyed.”

Harris added: “I think that it’s a book that changed the world in a way and nailed certain things about the way totalitarian governments behaved. But it’s also a fantastic story and a thriller with huge importance and ideas, and I think of all the novels published in the 20th century, it’s the one that had the most impact.”