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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 the search for meaning we must not forget that the gods (or God, for that matter) are a concept of the human mind; they are the creatures of man, not vice versa. They are needed and invented to give meaning and purpose to the struggle that is life on Earth, to explain strange and irregular phenomena of nature, haphazard events and, above all, irrational human conduct. They exist to bear the burden of all things that cannot be comprehended except by supernatural intervention or design.”

“Government remains the paramount area of folly because it is there that men seek power over others - only to lose it over themselves.”

Men Government Loses Power Areas Remains Folly Paramount Power Over Others

Book:The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

Source: The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

“Rome had Caesar, a man of remarkable governing talents, although it must be said that a ruler who arouses opponents to resort to assassination is probably not as smart as he ought to be.”

Men Said Talent Ought Smart Opponents Remarkable Rome Rulers Resorts Governing Assassination

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“When every autumn people said it could not last through the winter, and when every spring there was still no end in sight, only the hope that out of it all some good would accrue to mankind kept men and nations fighting. When at last it was over, the war had many diverse results and one dominant one transcending all others: disillusion.”

People Men Said Stills War Ends Lasts Fighting Hope Nations Results Mankind Spring Sight Winter Autumn Diverse Dominant Transcending Disillusion

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“The clergy [in the 14th century] on the whole were probably no more lecherous or greedy or untrustworthy than other men, but because they were supposed to be better or nearer to God than other men, their failings attracted more attention.”

Men Whole Attention Failing Century Supposed To Be Greedy Clergy Untrustworthy

Book:A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

Source: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

“While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous, lecherous, shameless, although not necessarily all of these at once.”

Men Kind Stories Century Lovers Husband Men And Women All Kinds Disgusting Sympathetic Shameless Deceiver

Author:Barbara Tuchman

“The nastiness of women [in the 14th century] was generally perceived at the close of life when a man began to worry about hell, and his sexual desire in any case fading.”

Men Desire Women Cases Worry Hell Century Fading Sexual Desire Nastiness

Author:Barbara Tuchman