Barbara W. Tuchman - History Quotes

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Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.

Barbara W. Tuchman
The muffled tongue of Big Ben tolled nine by the clock as the cortege left the palace, but on history's clock it was sunset, and the sun of the old world was setting in a dying blaze of splendor never to be seen again.

Barbara W. Tuchman
No nation in the world has so many drastic problems squeezed into so small a space, under such urgent pressure of time and heavy burden of history, as Israel.

Barbara W. Tuchman
Belgium, where there occurred one of the rare appearances of the hero in history, was lifted above herself by the uncomplicated conscience of her King and, faced with the choice to acquiesce or resist, took less than three hours to make her decision, knowing it might be mortal.

Barbara W. Tuchman
Human beings of any age need to approve of themselves; the bad times in history come when they cannot.

Barbara W. Tuchman
The poets have familiarized more people with history than have the historians.

Barbara W. Tuchman
To rush in upon an event before its significance has had time to separate from the surrounding circumstances may be enterprising, but is it useful?... The recent prevalence of these hot histories on publishers' lists raises the question: Should — or perhaps can — history be written while it is still smoking?

Barbara W. Tuchman
For one August in its history Paris was French—and silent.

Barbara W. Tuchman
A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by government of policies contrary to their own interests. Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of government than of almost any human activity.

Barbara W. Tuchman