From Caesar's legions to the Napoleonic wars. From the Reformation the Enlightenment and the industrial revolution to the defeat of nazism. We have helped to write European history and Europe has helped write ours.

I want to write a book which is the history of comedy.

I sent American troops to Iraq to make its people free not to make them American. Iraqis will write their own history and find their own way.

The main thing is to make history not to write it.

Now there are some who would like to rewrite history - revisionist historians is what I like to call them.

The writer may very well serve a movement of history as its mouthpiece but he cannot of course create it.

One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen.

For my part I consider that it will be found much better by all parties to leave the past to history especially as I propose to write that history myself.

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

I think it's time to have a celebration of life and renew our vows. And this time we're going to write the vows because they're going to mean a lot more. We certainly put the 'in sickness and in health' vow to the test the last year and half.

Whenever I write about mental health and integrative therapies I am accused of being prejudiced against pharmaceuticals. So let me be clear - integrative medicine is the judicious application of both conventional and evidence-based natural therapies.

Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance.

Happiness for me is getting to write about the most important things I know.

What I mean by that is that the point of life as I see it is not to write books or scale mountains or sail oceans but to achieve happiness and preferably an unselfish happiness.

As long as I am given the opportunity to keep performing and keep exploring in whatever medium I'll be happy. As long as I get to spend time with my family I'll be happy. As long as I can write in some form I'll be happy. It is the essential things like that I equate with happiness.

Lovers who love truly do not write down their happiness.

In America the race goes to the loud the solemn the hustler. If you think you're a great writer you must say that you are.

The great thing about being a print journalist is that you are permitted to duck. Cameramen get killed while the writers are flat on the floor. A war correspondent for the BBC dedicated his memoir to 50 fallen colleagues and I guarantee you they were all taking pictures. I am only alive because I am such a chicken.

The creations of a great writer are little more than the moods and passions of his own heart given surnames and Christian names and sent to walk the earth.

It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do.

I am hoping that I can be known as a great writer and actor some day rather than a sex symbol.

There is a great discovery still to be made in literature that of paying literary men by the quantity they do not write.

The great fun in my life has been getting up every morning and rushing to the typewriter because some new idea has hit me.

There are events which are so great that if a writer has participated in them his obligation is to write truly rather than assume the presumption of altering them with invention.