Quotes from William Boyd

I wouldn't go as far as that,' he said, 'but we managed to get an America First meeting closed in Philadelphia. Two thousand photographs of Herr Hitler found in the organisers' office.

I don't have many photographs of myself – a trait common to most professional photographers

Those were the years when I was truly happy. Knowing that is both a blessing and a curse. It's good to acknowledge that you found true happiness in your life – in that sense your life has not been wasted. But to admit that you will never be happy like that again is hard.

in the newspapers. It was Churchill who coined the phrase 'in war the truth is so important that it must be protected by a bodyguard of lies'.

Then, as I stood in that English garden on the soft early summer night, I felt a surge of pure well-being engulf my whole body. I felt a shivering current of happiness and benevolence flow through me.

what is the opposite of a mistake? And I realised there wasn't a word, in fact, precisely because a mistake always arises from best intentions that go awry. You can't set out to make a mistake. Mistakes happen – there's nothing we can do about them.

Bond went into the lobby bar to gather his thoughts and ordered a vodka martini, explaining to the barman the best way to achieve the effect of vermouth without diluting the vodka too much. Ice in the shaker, add a slurp of vermouth, pour out the vermouth, add the vodka, shake well, strain into a chilled glass, add a slice of lemon peel, no pith.

This cackit place ... They poor darkies. A greeshie way to go. He clenched his fists. I'm a snool, a glaikit sumph. Nocht but rain, howdumdied all day o'boot. I've lost my noddle. Camsteerie bloody country. He gave a harsh laugh. No strunt. Any haughmagandie? Never. Dunged into the ground. ... I could greet I tell you ... He could only understand one word in three, but this time he knew how the little man felt.

I may be a shit writer,' I remember him saying once, 'but I'm richer than any of the good ones.

People think all the answers are in here – with the brain. Reason, intelligence, deduction. They think thinking will solve all problems.' He put his hand over his heart. 'But no – the answers are here. Your heart will tell you what is right or wrong. Your best guide through life

me in. A thickset man, 40s, swarthy, unshaven, in a loose v-neck t-shirt and carefully distressed and torn jeans came round from behind a desk piled high with scripts and shook my hand.

WAR IS GOOD BUSINESS INVEST YOUR SON';

calmed down after a few seconds and went meekly back to KT-99 for a consoling dram of Glen Fleshan. My hands were trembling

he replied with unusual meekness – it just seems a terrible waste, Ruth, an awful waste of precious electricity. I now think he knew that he was soon going to die

Happenstance intersecting with received wisdom produces something entirely new and significant.

Lysander saw that they were displaying all the timeworn and conventional feints and poor disguises of lovers meeting in a public place and hoping the real nature of their relationship would be invisible.

the key factor in our mutual pleasure was that we enjoyed each other's company, which, banal though it may seem, is the fundamental explanation of any successful and enduring union.

As I write this I feel that draining, hollowing helplessness that genuine love for another person produces in you. It's at these moments that we know we are going to die. Only with Freya, Stella and Gail. Only three. Better than none.

But you have to admit there are great photographs,' I said. 'All right..There are memorable photographs. Remarkable photographs.' 'So, what makes them memorable or remarkable? What criteria do you use to judge them? To make that decision?' 'I don't think about it. I just know. Instinct.' 'Then maybe you should think about it. You judge a great photo in the same way you judge a great painting or a film or a play or a statue. It's art mon ami

Charbonneau was an interesting, amusing and provocative man and I like to think he brought out the best in me, also. Even two minutes in his company provided some comment or observation that would make me laugh or make me violently disagree with him and so those two minutes of my day were well spent as a consequence.

The wounded, the incomplete, the unbalanced, the malfunctioning, the ill seek each other out: like attracted to like.

Greville swore all the time in private, arguing that we owed it to the English language to exploit the full range of forceful expressions it offered.

There were three PROs looking after us – a measure of how the army and the mass media were now coexisting and being mutually supportive.

he needed the security of other bodies.