No more distressing moment can ever face a British government than that which requires it to come to a hard, fast and specific decision.

War is the unfolding of miscalculations.

The nastiness of women [in the 14th century] was generally perceived at the close of life when a man began to worry about hell, and his sexual desire in any case fading.

To put on the garment of legitimacy is the first aim of every coup.

More than a code of manners in war and love, Chivalry was a moral system, governing the whole of noble life.

Strong prejudices in an ill-formed mind are hazardous to government, and when combined with a position of power even more so.

The fleet sailed to its war base in the North Sea, headed not so much for some rendezvous with glory as for rendezvous with discretion.

What his imagination is to the poet, facts are to the historian. His exercise of judgment comes in their selection, his art in their arrangement.

Business, like a jackal, trotted on the heels of war.

One must stop conducting research before one has finished. Otherwise, one will never stop and never finish.

Diplomacy means all the wicked devices of the Old World, spheres of influence, balances of power, secret treaties, triple alliances, and, during the interim period, appeasement of Fascism.

Fictional people are people, too, otherwise why would we care what happens to them?

The old sporadic fanaticism of religious hatred had been skillfully perverted into the cold, steady fanaticism of national hate.

Fire and paper - they do not mix well, n'est pas?""Perhaps they mix too well.

One hears about life all the time from different people with very different narrative gifts.

In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man.

Plan to throw one (implementation) away; you will, anyhow.

I type a 101 words a minute. But it's in my own language.

Whenever you make love to someone, there should be three people involved - you, the other person, and the devil.

My fans have written me such kind emails. My management at Daptone helped me heal, too. I'm in a good place.