I think that whenever a nation feels itself to be at is zenith, it starts to feel a creeping sense of anxiety.

My greatest regret as a writer is that I've never been able to include as many jokes as I'd like.

A book unwritten is a delightful universe of infinite possibilities. Set down one word, however, and it immediately becomes earthbound. Set down one sentence and it’s halfway to being just like every other bloody book that’s ever been written.

But clever people all make one mistake. They all think everyone else is stupid. And everyone isn't stupid. They just take a bit more time, that's all.

I think it's very, very hard not to go slightly crazy if you're in the top in politics, especially if you're there for a long time.

People perish. Books are immortal.

[Boxer is] the ultimate tool for the serious pro' that can't afford the time and patience to mess around with lesser products.