The number one secret of being a successful writer is this: marry an English major.

During the Second World War, the Germans took four years to build the Atlantic Wall. On four beaches it held up the Allies for about an hour; at Omaha it held up the U.S. for less than one day. The Atlantic Wall must therefore be regarded as one of the greatest blunders in military history.

There are many more want-to-be writers out there than good editors.

Washington, not Jefferson, freed his slaves upon his death.

The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future.

American is the first democratic nation-state.

To have some parts flowing free again . . . with deer grazing on its banks . . . ducks and geese raising their young in the backwaters . . . eddies and twists and turns for canoeists . . . and fishing opportunities such as Lewis and Clark enjoyed . . . would be the finest possible tribute to the men of the Expedition, and a priceless gift for our children.