The source of our suffering has been our timidity. We have been afraid to think....Let us dare to read, think, speak, write.

I just thank my father and mother, my lucky stars, that I had the advantage of an education in the humanities.

I love Dickens. I love the way he sets a scene.

There is only one person who can measure your success. That person is you.

I can fairly be called an amateur because I do what I do, in the original sense of the word - for love, because I love it. On the other hand, I think that those of us who make our living writing history can also be called true professionals.

Once I discovered the endless fascination of doing the research and of doing the writing, I knew I had found what I wanted to do in my life. Every book is a new journey. I never felt I was an expert on a subject as I embarked on a project.

I feel that as much as I enjoy loafing, there is something higher for which to live.