Reconstructing the past is rather like translating poetry. It can be d — Norman Davies

"The formula Muscovy + Ukraine = Russia does not feature in the Russians’ own version of their history; but it is fundamental."

"Historical knowledge does not need artificial protection. ... The truth about the past can only be established and strengthened by the clash of wisdom and absurdity. If absurdity is banned by the law, wisdom too is diminished."

"It is indeed the duty of historians to stress the contrast between the standards of the past and the standards of the present. Some fulfil that duty on purpose, others by accident."

"All the nations that ever lived have left their footsteps in the sand. The traces fade with every tide, the echoes grow faint, the images are fractured, the human material is atomized and recycled. But if we know where to look, there is always a remnant, a remainder, an irreducible residue."

"The difference between a referendum and a plebiscite is a fine one. Both pertain to collective decisions made by the direct vote of all qualified adults. The referendum, which derives from Swiss practice, involves an issue that is provisionally determined in advance, but that is then referred for a final decision by the whole electorate."

"The immediate future may be determined by a race between the United Kingdom and the EU over which beats the other to a major crisis."