History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.

In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning.

For a second, two seconds, they had exchanged an equivocal glance, and that was the end of the story. But even that was a memorable event, in the locked loneliness in which one had to live.

From the totalitarian point of view, history is something to be created rather than learned.

Despotic governments can stand 'moral force' till the cows come home; what they fear is physical force.

Imperialism as he [Kipling] sees it is a sort of forcible evangelising.

In places this book is a little over-written, because Mr Blunden is no more able to resist a quotation than some people are to refuse a drink.