Washington was a man of exceptional, almost excessive self-command, rarely permitting himself any show of discouragement or despair.

If you get down about the state of American culture, just remember there are still more public libraries in this country than there are McDonalds.

History isn't just what happened, but what happened to whom and why and what would have been different if the cast of characters had been different.

Spotting talent is one of the essential elements of great leadership.

I could not do what I do without the kindness, consideration, resourcefulness and work of librarians, particularly in public libraries... What started me writing history happened because of some curiosity that I had about some photographs I'd seen in the Library of Congress.

There's no such thing as a foreseeable future.

You can't learn to play the piano without playing the piano, you can't learn to write without writing, and, in many ways, you can't learn to think without thinking. Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard.