He knows all the stuff that Arthur Schlesinger Jr., knows, keeps picking up brand new, ultra-contemporary stuff that nobody else knows, and arrives at zonky conclusions couched in scholarly terms.
This time it was Roderic O'Connor, the high-king of all Ireland, with sixty thousand men levied from all the clans of the island. They encamped around Dublin in four separate bodies – the high-king and his men of Connaught at Castle Knock; …
SIR OLIVER. What!—has he never transmitted—you—Bullion—Rupees—Pagodas!
SURFACE. O Dear Sir—Nothing of the kind—no—no—a few Presents now and then—china, shawls, congo Tea, Avadavats—and indian Crackers—little more, believe me.
Later on, when he had loosened up considerably, he told an amusing story that he said took place during a Sino-Soviet border flare-up in 1969. We had a hot line between the Soviet Union and ourselves then, he said, but it had already become cold because the Kremlin never used it. At the time of the Chen Pao border incident, however, Kosygin picked it up and called us. When our operator answered, he said, 'This is Premier Kosygin. I would like to speak to Chairman Mao.' The operator, completely on his own, said, 'You are a revisionist, and therefore I will not connect you.' So Kosygin said, 'Well, if you will not try to reach the Chairman, will you please connect me with Prime Minister Chou.' But the operator gave the same unauthorized reply and broke the connection.
