“Never had we ever kissed as lovers; if we touched lips it was as brother and sister. In one moment of emotion, our lips fell together by accident, but we quickly removed ourselves as though we were children touching glass with dirty hands.”

Roman Payne is a British journalist and author of the 20th century. He worked primarily as a war correspondent, covering conflicts in Europe and Asia, and later wrote memoirs that offered vivid, firsthand accounts of military life and the human cost of war. His writing often blended reportage with reflective insight, making complex events accessible to a broad audience.