I've Always Been Dissatisfied, I Know That.

I Can Fairly Be Called An Amateur Because I Do What I Do, In The Original Sense Of The Word - For Love, Because I Love It. On The Other Hand, I Think That Those Of Us Who Make Our Living Writing History Can Also Be Called True Professionals.

I Could Not Do What I Do Without The Kindness, Consideration, Resourcefulness And Work Of Librarians, Particularly In Public Libraries... What Started Me Writing History Happened Because Of Some Curiosity That I Had About Some Photographs I'd Seen In The Library Of Congress.

I Feel That History Is In Many Ways The Most Important Of All Subjects Because It Is About Everything And Because It's About Who We Are And How We Came To Be The Way We Are.

A Nation That Forgets Its Past Can Function No Better Than An Individual With Amnesia.

The Talent, Including The Talent For History - And I Do Think There Are People Who Just Have A Talent For It, The Way You Have A Talent For Public Speaking Or Music Or Whatever - It Shouldn't Be Allowed To Lie Dormant. It Should Be Brought Alive.