The dignity of man was everywhere tissue-paper thin.

I guessed life was like that. You gained and you lost, and if you saved anything from the ruins, even if only a shred of self-respect, it was enough to take you through the next...

It’s people with obsessions who do the real harm in the world.

Never ever make a joke to the police, they have no sense of humour. Never make a political joke, it will always be considered an insult. Always remember that umbrage can be taken by the...

Oh, what an attractive room!” even if you think it’s hideous.

Some are born weird, some achieve it, others have weirdness thrust upon them.

Silly,’ he said with mock serenity, ‘isn’t a word you should ever apply to people. They may be totally stupid, in fact, but if you call them silly you’ve lost their vote.

one should never assume anything

Crime to many is not crime but simply a way of life. If laws are inconvenient, ignore them, they don’t apply to you.

Most people think, when they’re young, that they’re going to the top of their chosen world, and that the climb up is only a formality. Without that faith, I suppose, they might never start. Somewhere...

Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer.

But one discarded dreams and got dressed, and made what one could of the day.

In all income groups you find your average regulation slob who sniggers at anarchy but calls the police indignantly to his burglarized home, who is actively anti-authority until he needs to be saved from someone...

People always kill Caesar. Don’t trust anyone.

Love’s easy to learn. It’s like taking a risk. You set your mind on it and refuse to be afraid, and in no time you feel terrifically exhilarated and all your inhibitions fly out the...

Life has a way of kicking one along like a football, or so I’ve found. Fate had never dealt me personally a particularly easy time, but that was OK, that was normal. Most people, it...

I wondered to what extent people remained the same as they’d been when very young; if one peeled back the layers of living one would come to the know child.

how very interesting” and change the subject.

I am firmly against women riding in National Hunt races.

But people as a rule believe only what they want to believe, and if you tell them anything else they’ll call you a trouble-maker and get rid of you and never give you your job...

It was a terrible day. I can only console myself with the fact that if it hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have written a book. As a result I was asked to write my autobiography.