A man can be a hero if he is a scientist, or a soldier, or a drug addict, or a read more

A man can be a hero if he is a scientist, or a soldier, or a drug addict, or a disc jockey, or a crummy mediocre politician. A man can be a hero because he suffers and despairs; or because he thinks logically and analytically; or because he is "sensitive;" or because he is cruel. Wealth establishes a man as a hero, and so does poverty. Virtually any circumstance in a man's life will make him a hero to some group of people and has a mythic rendering in the culture -- in literature, art, theater, or the daily newspapers.

They died hard, those savage men-like wounded wolves at bay. They were filthy, and they were lousy, and they stunk. read more

They died hard, those savage men-like wounded wolves at bay. They were filthy, and they were lousy, and they stunk. And I loved them.

History is a set of lies agreed upon.

History is a set of lies agreed upon.

Anecdotes are the gleaming toys of history. The history of mankind is little else than a narrative of designs which read more

Anecdotes are the gleaming toys of history. The history of mankind is little else than a narrative of designs which have failed and hopes that have been disappointed.

In a few years there will be only five kings in the world -- the King of England and the read more

In a few years there will be only five kings in the world -- the King of England and the four kings in a pack of cards.

The construction of Europe is an art. It is the art of the possible.

The construction of Europe is an art. It is the art of the possible.

History is a simple piece of paper covered with print. The main thing is still to make history, not to read more

History is a simple piece of paper covered with print. The main thing is still to make history, not to write it.

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.

History is philosophy learned from examples.

History is philosophy learned from examples.