“We look up to see if it is day or night. If stars burn cool and moon does shine, we take to smoke divine and wine. If breath of sun does belch its heat, we boil coffee and prepare to eat.”

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.