Allison, R, Chanen, B, (2011) "English A: Language and Literature - Course Companion", Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 212

"The key to success is getting used to the expectations and getting used to your own areas of strength and weakness in relation to the task."

--

MacMillan, Margaret, (2008) "Dangerous Games", New York: The Modern Library, p. 165-170

"...a citizenry that cannot begin to put the present into context, that has so little knowledge of the past, can too easily be fed stories by those who claim to speak with the knowledge of history and its lessons. History is called in, as we have seen, to strengthen group solidarity, often at the expense of the individual, to justify treating others badly, and to bolster arguments for particular policies and courses of action. Knowledge of the past helps us to challenge dogmatic statements and sweeping generalisations. It helps us think more clearly."

"Wars are made on enemies, not on ideas; wars have defined goals – usually forcing the enemy to capitulate – but a war on terror has no clearly defined end."

"History, by giving context and examples, helps when it comes to thinking about the present world. It aids in formulating questions, and without good questions it is difficult to begin to think in a coherent way at all."

"What happened and why? the historian asks. History demands that we treat evidence seriously, especially when that evidence contradicts assumptions we have already made. Are the witnesses telling the truth? How do we weigh one version against another? Have we been asking the right or the only questions?"

"History does not produce definitive answers for all time. It is a process."

"History can help us make sense of a complicated world, but it also warns of the dangers of assuming that there is only one possible way of looking at things or only one course of action. We must always be prepared to consider alternatives and to raise objections."

"'The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there," the English novelist L. P. Hartley once wrote."

"If the study of history does nothing more than teach us humility, scepticism, and awareness of ourselves, then it has done something useful. We must continue to examine our own assumptions and those of others and ask, where's the evidence? Or, is there another explanation? We should be wary of grand claims in history's name or those who claim to have uncovered the truth once and for all. In the end, my only advice is, enjoy it, but always handle history with care."