Hesketh Pearson

“Our true Patron Saint is not St George but Sir John Falstaff….we are the most civilised people in the world, the reason being that we are the most humorous people in the world”

The English Genius, 1939

Events mostly unimportant

"History: An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools." ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

A Great Dust Heap

"History is a great dust heap." ~Thomas Carlyle, Obiter Dicta

Define historian

"Historian: A broad-gauge gossip." ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

What is a historian?

"Historian: an unsuccessful novelist." ~H.L. Mencken

Define: History

"History: gossip well told." ~Elbert Hubbard, The Roycroft Dictionary

Old Man History

"History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days." ~Winston Churchill