The memory of the Second World War hangs over Europe, an inescapable and irresistible point of reference. Historical parallels are usually misleading and dangerous. – Antony Beevor
When we dwell on the enormity of the Second World War and its victims, we try to absorb all those statistics of national and ethnic tragedy. But, as a result, there is a tendency to overlook the way the war changed even the survivors’ lives in ways impossible to predict. – Antony Beevor
I joined the Army in 1965 and served with the 11th Hussars, which I loved. The regiment was so relaxed – a salute was more like a friendly wave. – Antony Beevor
Of course history is easily manipulated – though that makes it even more important for us to know what actually happened. – Antony Beevor
I was planning to stay in the Army all my life, but I ended up being posted to a training camp in Wales and was so bored there, I wrote a novel. – Antony Beevor
When I was a child I had something called Perthes’ Disease which meant I was on crutches, so I was bullied at school and all that sort of stuff. – Antony Beevor
I just love the days when you come out of the archives with half a dozen excellent descriptions or poignant accounts of personal experiences. – Antony Beevor
Counter-knowledge covers the propagation of false legends and conspiracy theories often used for political purposes or fundamentalist religious propaganda. – Antony Beevor
I believe passionately in preemptive pessimism, especially before a book comes out. I expect the worst both from reviewers and sales, and then, with any luck, I may be proved wrong. – Antony Beevor
The majority of soldiers and officers of the Soviet Army and the allied armies treated the local population humanely. – Antony Beevor
Historical truth and the marketing needs of the movie and television industry remain fundamentally incompatible. – Antony Beevor
It is important to understand the continuing, confused fascination with the Second World War. For most of us, the great unspoken question is how would we have behaved in the face of danger and when forced to make major moral choices. – Antony Beevor
The punishment of shaving a woman’s head had biblical origins. In Europe, the practice dated back to the Dark Ages with the Visigoths. – Antony Beevor
What is terrifying is the ability, through mass brainwashing or propaganda, to change normal human instinct, which does not necessarily contain very much hatred. – Antony Beevor
The British bombing of Caen beginning on D-Day in particular was stupid, counter-productive and above all very close to a war crime. – Antony Beevor
In my library/study/barn, there is a Ping-Pong table on which I can pile working books and spread maps. – Antony Beevor
A blend of fact and fiction has been used in various forms since the dawn of creative writing, starting with sagas and epic poems. – Antony Beevor
I think it’s outrageous if a historian has a ‘leading thought’ because it means they will select their material according to their thesis. – Antony Beevor
The duty of a historian is simply to understand and then convey that understanding, no more than that. – Antony Beevor
The reason that ‘Stalingrad’ took off was because it emphasized the influence of history on the individual. – Antony Beevor
It takes me three or four years to research and write each book and the individual stories stay with you for a long time afterwards. – Antony Beevor
Restorers of paintings and pottery follow a code of conduct in their work to distinguish the original material from what they are adding later. – Antony Beevor
Entertainment history is now the main source of supposedly historical knowledge for more and more people, but ‘histo-tainment’ is superficial and lacks all context. – Antony Beevor
The vital thing for me is to integrate the history from above with the history from below because only in that way can you show the true consequences of the decisions of Hitler or Stalin or whomever on the ordinary civilians caught up in the battle. – Antony Beevor
Teaching the history of the British Empire links in with that of the world: for better and for worse, the Empire made us what we are, forming our national identity. A country that does not understand its own history is unlikely to respect that of others. – Antony Beevor
When I was younger I used to get my best writing done at night, but now it has to be during the day. I usually finish work at half past seven, then go back to the house to open a bottle of wine, have dinner, and then read or watch television. – Antony Beevor
The great European dream was to diminish militant nationalism. We would all be happy Europeans together. But we are going to see the old monster of militant nationalism being awoken when people realise how little control their politicians have. – Antony Beevor
