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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

“In individuals as in nations, contentment is silent, which tends to unbalance the historical record.”

Individual Nations Peace History Records Historical Silent Contentment

Book:A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

Source: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

“Completeness is rare in history.”

History Completeness

Book:A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

Source: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

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

People Poetry History Poet Historian

Author:Barbara 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?”

Should May Stills History Written Events Circumstances Hot Raises Lists Smoking Significance Publishers Enterprising

Book:Practicing History: Selected Essays

Source: Practicing History: Selected Essays

“The fleet sailed to its war base in the North Sea, headed not so much for some rendezvous with glory as for rendezvous with discretion.”

War History Sea Glory Discretion Rendezvous North Sea

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“The unrecorded past is none other than our old friend, the tree in the primeval forest which fell without being heard”

Past History Heard Tree Forests Old Friends Primeval

Book:Practicing History: Selected Essays

Source: Practicing History: Selected Essays

“The Germans could not get over the perfidy of it. It was unbelievable that the English, having degenerated to the stage where suffragettes heckled the Prime Minister and defied the police, were going to fight.”

Fighting History Stage Police Ministers Prime Get Over Prime Minister Unbelievable British History Suffragettes Perfidy

Author:Barbara Tuchman