One of the consequences of the Iranian revolution has been an explosion of history. A country once known only from British consular reports and intrepid travelogues is now awash with historical documents, letters, diaries, grainy video, weblogs and secret police files of questionable authenticity. – James Buchan
Is there any purpose to translating poetry? A poem does not contain information of importance, like a signpost or a warning notice. – James Buchan
If good history is dispassionate history, it must naturally wait until the passions of the period subside. – James Buchan
Any new financial order for the world must tackle the three chief challenges of our age. – James Buchan
In the case of Iraq, notwithstanding the violence there at the moment, the very fact that a hideous regime – responsible for genocide, for the use of chemical and biological weapons, aggression against two neighbors – has been removed in itself is a positive development. – Jose Ramos-Horta