I feel slightly uneasy at the way historians are consulted as if history is going to repeat itself. It never does.

The duty of a historian is simply to understand and then convey that understanding, no more than that.

The British bombing of Caen beginning on D-Day in particular was stupid, counter-productive and above all very close to a war crime.

The blurring of fact and fiction has great commercial potential, which is bound to be corrupting in historical terms.

To begin impatiently is the worst mistake a writer can make

The great European dream was to diminish militant nationalism. We would all be happy Europeans together. But we are going to see the old monster of militant nationalism being awoken when people realise how little control their politicians have.

I am not someone who believes I am going to find a historical scoop.