An historian should yield himself to his subject, become immersed in the place and period of his choice, standing apart from it now and then for a fresh view.

If the American Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile.

He [Columbus] enjoyed long stretches of pure delight such as only a seaman may know, and moments of high, proud exultation that only a discoverer can experience.

Dream dreams and write them aye, but live them first.

A few hints as to the craft may be useful to budding historians. First and foremost, get writing!

Historical methodology, as I see it, is a product of common sense applied to circumstances.

Skepticism is an important historical tool. It is the starting point of all revision of hitherto accepted history.

The cruel policy initiated by Columbus and pursued by his successors resulted in complete genocide.

America was named after a man who discovered no part of the New World. History is like that, very chancy.

No big modern war has been won without preponderant sea power; and, conversely, very few rebellions of maritime provinces have succeeded without acquiring sea power.

Never, in these United States, has the brain of man conceived, or the hand of man fashioned, so perfect a thing as a clipper ship.

I like the sound of 'claps of no sound..

An angry man opens his mouth and shuts up his eyes.

When I was in China, Mao was Chairman, and parents were terrified to tell their children anything that differed from the party line in case the children repeated it and endangered the whole family.

For me, you have to not have a formula. You have to not even sit down and say, 'I want to write right now.' It has to just kind of come out. It's not something you can plan.

Daniel Radcliffe told me once that you should always keep the people around you that you know are going to tell you the truth.

We are not the only animal that mourns; apes do, and elephants, and dogs. Yet we are the only one that tortures.

In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears. Things are not only what they are. They are, in very important respects, what they seem to be.

Art is like a shipwreck; it's every man for himself.

A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.

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