The Wars is a great book, rich in its images, its language, its construction, and, ultimately, its conception.

History tells us what people do; historical fiction helps us imagine how they felt.

A man descending is propelled by inertia; the only initiative left him is whether or not he decides to enjoy the passing scene.

Not to do as the child wishes would be wrong because he is born on a path, and it would be evil, a crime against nature to make him deny his spirit.

She'd whisper to me to take my tiny piece of happiness, hold its honey in my mouth until it melts away.

What if I've died a long time ago and come here? he wondered. What if the defining characteristic of hell is that you're locked in an endless, blind battle to reform it?

A wife encourages her husband's egoism in order to exercise her own.

I started to hate fame, I didn't want to go out, because I didn't want to be recognised for what I was being recognised for.

The historian must have some conception of how men who are not historians behave.

Engaging in new creative projects keeps me energized. I feel deeply grateful for all of the opportunities that life has given me.

There are plenty of people who don't want change - the Labour Party, some of their militant trade union friends like Unite busy causing strikes at the very beginning of a fragile recovery.

You know what makes me feel old? When I see girls who are 20-something, or the new crop of actresses, and think, Aren't we kind of the same age?

I'm not certain that the BBC can claim to be making a wide enough range of distinctive programmes to make the case convincingly.

Mountain biking helps people become environmentalists. A mountain bike is a vehicle to appreciate the backcountry.

Everyone in Life does Exactly what they Know How to Do Given the Conditions of their Lives