It was Julie Burchill who decreed that, beyond a certain age, a man should not be seen in a leather jacket. – Arthur Smith
Ninety-eight per cent of laughter is nothing to do with jokes, which do not deserve to bear the weight of all the funny stuff in the world. – Arthur Smith
Occasionally I find a travel book that is both illuminating and entertaining, where vivid writing and research replace self-indulgence and sloppy prose. – Arthur Smith
Travel books are, by and large, boring. They lodge uncomfortably between fact, fiction and autobiography. – Arthur Smith
Stuart was an early riser: he was almost always the first person up in the morning. He liked the feeling of being the first one stirring; he enjoyed the quiet rooms with the books standing still on the shelves, the pale light coming in through the windows, and the fresh smell of day. – E.B. White, Stuart Little, 1945