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Barbara Tuchman

Barbara Tuchman Quotes

Historian

Barbara Tuchman was an American historian renowned for her in-depth research and vivid narrative style. Her works covered historical events from the Roman Empire to the 20th century, with 'Guns, Germs, and Steel' and 'The Guns of August' being particularly notable.

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Famous Barbara Tuchman Quotes

“Modern historians have suggested that in his last years he (Richard II) was overtaken by mental disease, but that is only a modern view of the malfunction common to 14th century rulers: inability to inhibit impulse.”

Years Lasts Views Common Modern Century Disease Impulse Historian Rulers Last Year Inability Malfunction Richard Ii

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“The poets have familiarized more people with history than have the historians.”

People Poetry History Poet Historian

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“Historians who stuff in every item of research they have found, every shoelace and telephone call of a biographical subject, are not doing the hard work of selecting and shaping a readable story.”

Hard Stories Found Stuff Subjects Hard Work Research Historian Telephones Items Shoelaces

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“What his imagination is to the poet, facts are to the historian. His exercise of judgment comes in their selection, his art in their arrangement.”

Art Facts Imagination Poet Exercise Judgment Historian Arrangements Selection

Book:Practicing History: Selected Essays

Source: Practicing History: Selected Essays

“It hurt the economic historians, the Marxists and the fabians, to admit that the Ten Hour Bill, the basic piece of 19th century legislation, came down from the top, out of aa nobleman's private feelings about the Gospel, or that the abolition of the slave trade was achieved, not through the operation of some "law" of profit and loss, but peurlet as the result of tyhe new humanitarianism of the Evangelicals.”

“To a historian libraries are food, shelter, and even muse.”

Library Historian Shelter Muse

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“To a historian libraries are food, shelter, and even muse. They are of two kinds: the library of published material, books, pamphlets, periodicals, and the archive of unpublished papers and documents.”

Kind Two Book Materials Paper Cooking Library Historian Shelter Documents Muse Papers Archives

Book:Practicing History: Selected Essays

Source: Practicing History: Selected Essays