But it is no use to justify yourself. It is no good to explain. It is weak to be anecdotal. It is wise to conceal the past even if there is nothing to conceal. A man's power is in the half-light, in the half-seen movements of his hand and the unguessed-at expression of his face. It is the absence of facts that frightens people: the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires.

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About Hilary Mantel

Hilary Mantel was a 20th-century British writer. Dame Hilary Mary Mantel was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, Every Day Is Mother's Day, was released in 1985. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • History — Lessons from the past and the arc of human civilisation
  • Power — The dynamics of influence, authority, and leadership

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