I joined the Army in 1965 and served with the 11th Hussars, which I loved. The regiment was so relaxed - a salute was more like a friendly wave.

I just write the sort of book that I would enjoy reading myself, a book that is both scholarly and recreates the experience of people at that time.

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

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

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 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.