Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,269 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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“And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? -- now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.”
Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) said by 1849 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand at the mongrel dogs who teach Fearing not that I'd become my enemy in the instant that I preach My existence led by confusion boats, mutiny from stern to bow.”
“Some burn damp faggots, others may consume The entire combustible world in one small room As though dried straw, and if we turn about The bare chimney is gone black out Because the work had finished in that flare. Soldier, scholar, horseman, he, As ’twere all life’s epitome. What made us dream that he could comb grey hair?”
William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) said by 1939 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I had to shake the spot cause the game got crowded I'm devoted and quote it, I'm rowdy and bout it A No Limit Soldier, and happy to shout it.”
Snoop Dogg (born 1971) first seen 1998 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Get Bout It & Rowdy", Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told (1998).
“Constantine was never a true Galilean; he merely used Christianity to extend his dominion over the world. He was a shrewd professional soldier, badly educated and not in the least interested in philosophy, though some perverse taste in him was hugely satisfied by doctrinal disputes; the mad haggling of bishops fascinated him.”
Gore Vidal (1925–2012) said by 2012 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The soldier, be he friend or foe, is charged with the protection of the weak and unarmed. It is the very essence and reason for his being. When he violates this sacred trust, he not only profanes his entire cult but threatens the very fabric of international society. The traditions of fighting men are long and honorable. They are based upon the noblest of human traits—sacrifice.”
Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) first seen 1946 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From a 1946 statement by MacArthur confirming the death sentence imposed by a U. S. military commission on Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita, as quoted in MacArthur's Reminscences (McGraw-Hill, 1964) p. 295. Also used…
“A breath of our inspiration Is the life of each generation; A wondrous thing of our dreaming Unearthly, impossible seeming — The soldier, the king, and the peasant Are working together in one, Till our dream shall become their present, And their work in the world be done.”
Arthur O'Shaughnessy (1844–1881) said by 1881 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Dear Senator Leahy, thank you for your recent letter asking my views on the proposed flag protection amendment. I love our flag, our Constitution and our country with a love that has no bounds. I defended all three for 35 years as a soldier and was willing to give my life in their defense.”
Colin Powell (1937–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My faith in human dignity consists in the belief that man is the greatest scamp on earth. Human dignity must be associated with the idea of a scamp and not with that of an obedient, disciplined and regimented soldier.”
Lin Yutang (1895–1976) said by 1976 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He was only six, but he already knew that he hated it when he had to do what other people wanted, even when he knew that they were wrong. He didn't want to be a soldier. He didn't want to kill. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to obey stupid people.”
Orson Scott Card (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All through your Army careers, you men have bitched about what you call "chicken shit drilling". That, like everything else in this Army, has a definite purpose. That purpose is alertness. Alertness must be bred into every soldier. I don't give a fuck for a man who's not always on his toes. You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready for what's to come.”
George S. Patton (1885–1945) said by 1945 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My men don't surrender. I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he has been hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight back.”
George S. Patton (1885–1945) said by 1945 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“2nd Soldier: Do you mean that, as a General, you're not the tiniest bit ambitious for our military future? General: I prefer our military past. The harm's done and there it is. As for being a General, well, at the age of four with paper hats and wooden swords, we're all Generals. Only some of us never grow out of it.”
Peter Ustinov (1921–2004) said by 2004 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One must not judge everyone in the world by his qualities as a soldier: otherwise we should have no civilization.”
Erwin Rommel (1891–1944) said by 1944 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Dirty Little Secrets : Military Information You're Not Supposed To Know (1990) by James F. Dunnigan and Albert A. Nofi, p. 50
“By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea, There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me; For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say: “Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!”
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) said by 1936 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“'E's a sort of a bloomin' cosmopolouse—soldier an' sailor too.”
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) first seen 1896 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Soldier an' Sailor Too", Stanza 2 (1896).
“There is no such thing as a failed soldier, dead or alive (unless he acted in a cowardly manner)—likewise there is no such thing as a failed entrepreneur or failed scientific researcher ...”
Nassim Nicholas Taleb (born 1960) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This leads to the conclusion, it is time to finish retreating. Not one step back! Such should now be our main slogan. ... Henceforth the solid law of discipline for each commander, Red Army soldier, and commissar should be the requirement — not a single step back without order from higher command.”
Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) first seen 1942 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Order of the National Commissar for the Defense of the Soviet Union" (28 July 1942) Moscow
“Does Djilas, who is himself a writer, not know what human suffering and the human heart are? Can't he understand it if a soldier who has crossed thousands of kilometers through blood and fire and death has fun with a wench or takes some trifle?”
Joseph Stalin (1878–1953) said by 1953 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In response to complaints about the rapes and looting committed by the Red Army during the Second World War, as quoted in Conversations with Stalin (1963) by Milovan Djilas, p. 95
“You know, if you’re young, and in this era, and if you have any guilt about not having gone to Vietnam, we have our own Vietnam—it’s called the dating game... Dating is like being in Vietnam. You’re the equivalent of a soldier going over to Vietnam.”
Donald Trump (born 1946) first seen 1993 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: An interview on The Howard Stern Show, 1993, archived by People
“One single private soldier, and we would take good care that he was killed.”
Ferdinand Foch (1851–1929) first seen 1910 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Response to a question of Henry Wilson regarding a possible German invasion of Belgium: "What would you say was the smallest British military force that would be of any practical assistance to you in the event of a cont…
“What you did was the greatest thing accomplished by any private soldier of all of the armies of Europe.”
Ferdinand Foch (1851–1929) first seen 1922 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: To Alvin York, on his extraordinary capture of over a hundred enemy troops behind enemy lines, as quoted in the Preface of Sergeant York And His People (1922) by Sam K. Cowan
“An army is to a chief what a sword is to a soldier. It is only worth anything in so far as it receives from him a certain impulsion (direction and vigour).”
Ferdinand Foch (1851–1929) said by 1929 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.”
Sun Tzu (544–470 BC) said by 470 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I suppose my determination to be a soldier stems from that date. I mean the real thing, not the parades and the uniforms and the glamour, but the logistics, the offensive advantage, the speed and surprise—the power. A better-prepared, stronger, tougher, faster, meaner son-of-a-bitch than any who came through that door.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To kill a man, it helps if you can first take away his face. A neat mental trick. Handy for a soldier.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A mercenary who can’t honor his contract when it’s rough as well as smooth is a thug, not a soldier.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A skilled soldier kills your enemies, but a skilled duelist kills your allies.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don't duel, boy. I kill as a soldier kills, which is as a butcher kills, as quickly, efficiently, and with as least risk to myself as I can arrange. If I decide you die, you will die when I choose, where I choose, by what means I choose, and you will never see the blow coming. (...) I don't duel. But if you seek to die like a bludgeoned steer, cross me again.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Pen cleared his throat. “Do you normally try to murder people you’ve just met?” Although that was what a soldier did, he supposed.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Some poetic epics extolled heroism in warriors; Adelis the actual soldier put his faith in logistics.”
Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The body of the Unknown Soldier has come home, but his spirit will wander with that of his brothers. There will be no rest for his soul until the great democracy of death has been translated into the unity of life.”
Heywood Broun (1888–1939) first seen 1922 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Pieces of Hate and Other Enthusiasms, George H Doran Company, 1922. Quoted in Hovey, E. Paul, The Treasury for Special Days and Occasions. Revell, 1994 (pg. 246).
“Russians and Ukrainians are one people. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours. There’s an old rule that wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that’s ours.”
Vladimir Putin (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Not one American soldier is going to die on that goddamned beach.”
George C. Marshall (1880–1959) first seen 1943 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: reaction to Churchill's pitch at the Cairo Conference in November 1943 for the Americans to join in an assault on Rhodes. quoted by Correl, John T. “Churchill’s Southern Strategy.” Air Force Magazine, January 2013
“Love without courage and wisdom is sentimentality, as with the ordinary church member. Courage without love and wisdom is foolhardiness, as with the ordinary soldier. Wisdom without love and courage is cowardice, as with the ordinary intellectual. Therefore one with love, courage, and wisdom is one in a million who moves the world, as with Jesus, Buddha, and Gandhi.”
Ammon Hennacy (1893–1970) said by 1970 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I have given instructions that I be informed every time one of our soldiers is killed, even if it is in the middle of the night. When President Nasser leaves instructions that he is to be awakened in the middle of the night if an Egyptian soldier is killed, there will be peace.”
Golda Meir (1898–1978) said by 1978 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Any effort directed against America and the Jews yields positive and direct results, Allah willing. It is far better for anyone to kill a single American soldier than to squander his efforts on other activities.”
Osama bin Laden (1957–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“They carried the soldier's greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to.”
Tim O'Brien (author) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Any soldier will tell you, if he tells the truth, that proximity to death brings with it a corresponding proximity to life. After a firefight, there is always the immense pleasure of aliveness. The trees are alive. the grass, the soil — everything. All around you things are purely living, and you among them, and the aliveness makes you tremble.”
Tim O'Brien (author) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I dedicate this book to the memory of my friend Richard Flisges, who died as a brave soldier of work in a mine at Schliersee on the 19th of July 1923.”
Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945) first seen 1923 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Dieses Buch widme ich dem Andenken meines Freundes Richard Flisges, der am 19. Juli 1923 in einem Bergwerk bei Schliersee als tapferer Soldat der Arbeit in den schweren Tod ging.
“Heed the lesson there, son.” “What lesson?” “Every decision you make can change the world. The best life is the one the gods don’t notice. You want to live free, boy, live quietly.” “I want to be a soldier. A hero.” “You’ll grow out of it.”
Steven Erikson (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Fuck your chain, my people'll kill you for water. Fuck fans nigga, I got soldier supporters.”
Immortal Technique (born 1978) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Hit it! With words like Blood, Soldier and Mother...”
“You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray you'll never know The hell where youth and laughter go.”
Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967) said by 1967 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“That pile of paper on his left side went on living like the watch on a dead soldier’s wrist.”
Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) said by 1963 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On his visit to the deathbed of Marcel Proust, as quoted in "Cocteau: The Great Enchanter" by Edmund White Vogue (May 1984)
“A soldier told Pelopidas, "We are fallen among the enemies." Said he, "How are we fallen among them more than they among us?”
Plutarch (40–120) said by 120 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“People try so hard to believe in leaders now, pitifully hard. But we no sooner get a popular reformer or politician or soldier or writer or philosopher — a Roosevelt, a Tolstoy, a Wood, a Shaw, a Nietzsche, than the cross-currents of criticism wash him away. My Lord, no man can stand prominence these days. It's the surest path to obscurity. People get sick of hearing the same name over and over.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) said by 1940 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am for "peace, retrenchment, and reform" — the watchword of the great Liberal party 30 years ago. Whosoever may abandon the cause I shall never pronounce another Shibboleth, but as long as the old flag floats in the air I shall be found a steadfast soldier in the foremost ranks”
John Bright (1811–1889) first seen 1830 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech (28 April 1859); this phrase was first used by William IV in his speech from the Throne for the Whig government of Earl Grey (17 November 1830), quoted in The Times (29 April 1859), p. 6
“(Commenting on band The Killers' lyrics from the song 'All These Things I've Done') Deep down, it really is just a meaningless lyric, isn't it? [Sings] "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier". I mean, you may as well be saying "I got ham, but I'm not a hamster”
Bill Bailey (born 1965) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As long as women suffer as they do I will fight! As long as little children hungering go, as they now do, I will fight. As long as men go to the prisons, in and out, in and out, as they now do, I will fight. All who are not on the ship are in the sea. Every Soldier must do his utmost to save them.”
William Booth (1829–1912) first seen 1912 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: An unspecified platform appeal, as quoted in The Musical Salvationist (September 1927). Several variants of this exist, some of them credited to his speech at the Royal Albert Hall on May 9, 1912, as researched "While W…