“In his will he said nothing of war or injustice or personal achievements, but spoke of gratitude, peace and acceptance. He gave thanks for his long life -- the 'great measure of daies' with which God 'had filled my glass of time' -- and for the love and companionship of 'that life of my life my dearest wife'.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“As soon as the edifice of the knowledge of the ancients had been shaken in the minds of the most inquisitive, questions upon questions arose which now demanded technology, including -- crucially -- the invention of the telescope and the microscope, enabling a generation of scholars to see clearly things which had been absolutely invisible to their forefathers. It was a thrilling, and dangerous, time to be alive.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“What a leap of faith. To love in spite of loss, to begin again when you’ve already failed, to reach for joy knowing that it brings pain, too, that life is inseparable from damage. - 99%”
Source: April May June July: A Novel
“He mocked those who still spent their time bent over books, for 'discoveries and improvements' would not be found in trawling the work of others. He had decided the previous year to stop reading altogether and instead to focus entirely on active experimentation...”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“... he was not one to let other people's feelings get in the way when he knew he was right.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“His personal success, combined with his surfeit of self-confidence and shortage of charm, had multiplied his enemies and soon they began to mobilize against him.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“He warned his pious daughter Bridget of the dangers of self-criticism and the overwhelming importance of love.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“Taken on his own terms he had an intense integrity rare among rulers; he seldom acted for personal profit and almost always did what he believed to be best for others.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“A year had not changed Monck's view that once you had decided on a course of action, even if with reluctance, it paid to espouse it with enthusiasm.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown
“Another change which had been brought about by the 1650s and could not be undone was public interest in news, current affairs and political debate.”
Source: The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown