And I really do think that the difficulty of research makes it more real to you than punching a thing to find out how many men were killed at this particular action.

I've never known, at least a modern historical instance, where the truth wasn't superior to distortion in every way.

Before the war it was always the United States *are*, after the war it was the United States is... it made us an is.

A combination of all that was best in the gladdest days of the departing year.

And I really do think that the difficulty of research makes it more real to you than punching a thing to find out how many men were killed at this particular action.

Of all the passions of mankind, the love of novelty most rules the mind. In search of this, from realm to realm we roam. Our fleets come loaded with every folly home.

Most of my inspiration, if that's the word, came from books themselves.