Most history is a record of the triumphs, disasters, and follies of top people. The black hole in it is read more

Most history is a record of the triumphs, disasters, and follies of top people. The black hole in it is the way of life of mute, inglorious men and women who make no nuisance of themselves in the world.

History never looks like history when you are living through it. It always looks confusing and messy, and it always read more

History never looks like history when you are living through it. It always looks confusing and messy, and it always feels uncomfortable.

Qualities absolutely necessary for a historian: (1) Imagination. (2) Prejudice. (3) The power of writing your own biography at the read more

Qualities absolutely necessary for a historian: (1) Imagination. (2) Prejudice. (3) The power of writing your own biography at the same time.

History is just a portrayal of crimes and misfortunes.

History is just a portrayal of crimes and misfortunes.

There are no extraordinary men... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are forced to deal with.

There are no extraordinary men... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are forced to deal with.

History does not always repeat itself.

History does not always repeat itself.

There are people who read too much: bibliobibuli. I know some who are constantly drunk on books, as other men read more

There are people who read too much: bibliobibuli. I know some who are constantly drunk on books, as other men are drunk on whiskey or religion. They wander through this most diverting and stimulating of worlds in a haze, seeing nothing and hearing nothing.

Historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them.

Historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them.

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to read more

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.