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John Keegan Quotes

Historian

John Keegan was a renowned British historian known for his profound insights and extensive research into military history. His works covered a wide range of historical periods, with particular acclaim for his in-depth analysis of both World Wars.

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All People Men World Thinking Ifs War Warfare 20th Century Absolutes Battle Century Compromise Display Educated Educated Person Fighting Humans Islam Knows Left

Famous John Keegan Quotes

“Slavery in the modern world implies the absolute deprivation of the individual's liberty, while possession of weapons and mastery of their use are means to the individual's liberation. We do not perceive how a man may be armed and at the same time bereft of his freedom.”

Men World May Mean Use Individual Liberty Modern Weapons Absolutes Slavery Possession Liberation Perceive Mastery Modern World Deprivation Bereft

Book:A History of Warfare

Source: A History of Warfare

“A civilised man is someone who has discovered something more satisfying than combat.”

Men Combat Satisfying Civilised

Author:John Keegan

“The leader of men in warfare can show himself to his followers only through a mask, a mask that he must make for himself, but a mask made in such form as will mark him to men of his time and place as the leader they want and need.”

Men Want Needs Made Shows Form Leader Mark Mask Followers Warfare Charisma Wants And Needs

Book:The Mask of Command

Source: The Mask of Command

“Of whatever class or nation, however, all successful participants in the repetitive and unrelenting stress of aerial fighting came eventually to display its characteristic physiognomy: skeletal hands, sharpened noses, tight-drawn cheek bones, the bared teeth of a rictus smile and the fixed, narrowed gaze of men in a state of controlled fear.”

Men States Hands Fighting Nations Class Successful Stress Bones Teeth Noses Fixed Characteristics Controlled Display Cheeks Participants Repetitive Unrelenting Physiognomy

Book:The First World War

Source: The First World War

“Good men who exercise power are really the most fascinating of all people.”

People Men Exercise Fascinating Good Man

Author:John Keegan

“Men killing other men really is an extraordinary phenomenon. Why does it happen? And how long has it gone on? And have the motives changed?”

Men Long Doe Happens Gone Changed Extraordinary Killing Motive Phenomenon Killing Others

Author:John Keegan

“The great Chinese classics have always said that it's better not to fight; that the clever man achieves his ends without violence; that a battle delayed is better than a battle fought.”

Men Said Ends Fighting Violence Achieve Battle Clever Chinese Delayed Clever Man

Author:John Keegan

“The great men of power who seek to change the nations they belong to usually are pretty terrible people.”

People Men Nations Terrible Great Men

Author:John Keegan

About the Author

Born: May 15, 1934
Died: August 2, 2012
Known for: Historian
Quotes: 34

Books & Sources

A History of WarfareRelated source material

The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the SommeRelated source material

The First World WarRelated source material

The Mask of CommandRelated source material

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