Quotessence
Home / Authors / Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin Quotes

Historian

Filter quotes by topic

AllThinkingPeopleIfsKnowsPresidentWritingCountryImportantBookJohnsonResearchStillsTogetherWarWorldHistorianIndividualWayAmerican HistoryDone

Famous Doris Kearns Goodwin Quotes

“Even though Lyndon Johnson's presidency was in many ways scarred forever by the war in Vietnam, and destroyed in a lot of ways, he - as a character - was even larger than his presidency. Being able to get to know him well, that firsthand relationship with this large character, I think is what drew me to writing books about presidents.”

ThinkingKnowsWayWritingWellsBookWarCharacterAblePresidentForeverDestroyedVietnamPresidencyJohnsonWriting A Book
Author:Doris Kearns Goodwin
Create image

“The White House is such an extraordinary, simple, beautiful place. It's an extraordinary piece of our history, because it is the one thing that binds our country together. We don't have a king obviously, but we have this president, and the fact that almost all of them have lived in the same place, and so much history took place in those rooms. You can't help but feel awe-inspired by being there.”

FeelsCountryFactsHelpingTogetherBeautifulHousePresidentSimpleWhiteRoomsPiecesOne ThingKingsExtraordinaryInspiredOur CountryAweWhite HouseBeing ThereBeautiful Places
Author:Doris Kearns Goodwin
Create image

“You can't start out at 20 in whatever your profession is and say, "I want to win an Olympic medal," or "I want to become president," or "I want to win the Pulitzer Prize." If you love what you're doing, it's sort of a nice thing that happens toward the end of your career, or in the middle of your career. It is not the reason you were doing it. The reason you were doing it is because every day you wake up in the morning and you can't wait to learn something new.”

IfsWantEndsReasonHappensWinningWaitingPresidentCareersMorningNiceMiddleWake UpProfessionPrizeSomething NewMedalNice ThingsOlympic Medals
Author:Doris Kearns Goodwin
Create image

“Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. He was bigger than his country - bigger than all the Presidents together. We are still too near to his greatness,' (Leo) Tolstoy (in 1908) concluded, 'but after a few centuries more our posterity will find him considerably bigger than we do. His genius is still too strong and powerful for the common understanding, just as the sun is too hot when its light beams directly on us.' (748)”

WorldStillsCountryLightTogetherStrongUnderstandingPresidentPowerfulCommonSunCenturyGreatnessGeniusBiggerHotHumanitarianBroadsTypicalPosterityBeamFrenchmen
Author:Doris Kearns Goodwin
Create image

“(from John Hay's diary) “The President never appeared to better advantage in the world,” Hay proudly noted in his diary. “Though He knows how immense is the danger to himself from the unreasoning anger of that committee, he never cringed to them for an instant. He stood where he thought he was right and crushed them with his candid logic.”

KnowsWorldPresidentKnow HowDangerAdvantageLogicInstantImmenseCommitteesDiariesCrushedCandidHay
Author:Doris Kearns Goodwin
Create image