A.J.P. Taylor Quotes

History is the great propagator of doubt.

Freedom does not always win. This is one of the bitterest lessons of history.

The Foreign Office knows no secrets.

Nothing is inevitable until it happens.

[Otto von Bismarck] only considered the interests of his own country - always the worst offense that a statesman can commit in the eyes of foreigners.

Fascism was little more than terrorist rule by corrupt gangsters. Mussolini was not corrupt himself but he did nothing except to rage impotently.

Knowledge breeds doubt, not certainty,
And the more we know the more uncertain we become.

A racing tipster who only reached Hitler's level of accuracy would not do well for his clients.

Human blunders usually do more to shape history than human wickedness.

History is not a catalogue but ... a convincing version of events.

The greatest problem about old age is the fear that it may go on too long.

Bismarck fought 'necessary' wars and killed thousands, the idealists of the twentieth century fight 'just' wars and kill millions.

Like most of those who study history, he (Napoleon III) learned from the mistakes of the past how to make new ones.

The present enables us to understand the past, not the other way round.

If men are to respect each other for what they are, they must cease to respect each other for what they own.

Perfect soldier, perfect gentleman never gave offence to anyone not even the enemy.

In retrospect, though many were guilty, none was innocent.

A master of improvised speech and improvised policies.

When I write I have no loyalty except to historical truth as I see it and care no more about British achievements and mistakes than any other.

History is not another name for the past, as many people imply. It is the name for stories about the past.

Though the object of being a Great Power is to be able to fight a Great War, the only way of remaining a Great Power is not to fight one.

The God of Battles will throw the dice that decide ...

We learn nothing from history except the infinite variety of men's behaviour.

No war is inevitable until it breaks out.

No matter what political reasons are given for war, the underlying reason is always economic.

There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with the Establishment - and nothing more corrupting.

The great armies, accumulated to provide security and preserve the peace, carried the nations to war by their own weight.

Manchester has everything but good looks ... , the only place in England which escapes our characteristic vice of snobbery.

The crusade against Communism was even more imaginary than the specter of Communism.

In my opinion, most of the great men of the past were only there for the beer - the wealth, prestige and grandeur that went with the power.

Psychoanalysts believe that the only 'normal' people are those who cause no trouble either to themselves or anyone else.