I am by nature an optimist and by intellectual conviction a pessimist.

Life should serve up its feast of experience in a series of courses.

Even if you got rid of paper, you would still have story-tellers. In fact, you had the story-tellers before you had the paper.

Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?

One thing should be put firmly. Where people have commented on that novel [The Paper Men], they generally criticize the poor academic, Rick L. Tucker, who is savaged by the author, Wilfred Barclay. I don't think people have noticed that I have been far ruder about Barclay than I have been about Tucker. Tucker is a fool, but Barclay is a swine. The author really gets his come-uppance.

My yesterdays walk with me. They keep step, they are gray faces that peer over my shoulder.

The Navy's a very gentlemanly business. You fire at the horizon to sink a ship and then you pull people out of the water and say, 'Frightfully sorry, old chap.'