A. J. P. Taylor Quotes, Running Quotes, Regret Quotes

Every historian loves the past or should do. If not, he has mistaken his vocation; but it is a short step from loving the past to regretting that it has ever changed. Conservatism is our greatest trade-risk; and we run psychoanalysts close in the belief that the only "normal" people are those who cause no trouble either to themselves or anybody else.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Running Quotes , Regret Quotes

Freedom does not always win. This is one of the bitterest lessons of history.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Winning Quotes , History Quotes

There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with the establishment and nothing more corrupting.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Peace Quotes , Ubuntu Quotes

Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes from the nonconformists. If there had been no trouble-makers, no Dissenters, we should still be living in caves.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Giving Quotes , Caves Quotes

History is not another name for the past, as many people imply. It is the name for stories about the past.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Past Quotes , Names Quotes

Manchester has everything but good looks..., the only place in England which escapes our characteristic vice of snobbery.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Vices Quotes , Looks Quotes

The great armies, accumulated to provide security and preserve the peace, carried the nations to war by their own weight.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Peace Quotes , War Quotes

Though the object of being a Great Power is to be able to fight a Great War, the only way of remaining a Great Power is not to fight one.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , War Quotes , Fighting Quotes

If there had been a strong democratic sentiment in Germany, Hitler would never have come to power . [Germans] deserved what they got when they went round crying for a hero.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Strong Quotes , Hero Quotes

The present enables us to understand the past, not the other way round.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Past Quotes , Way Quotes

If there had been no troublemakers, no Dissenters, we should still be living in caves.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Freedom Quotes , Differences Quotes

Bismarck fought 'necessary' wars and killed thousands, the idealists of the twentieth century fight 'just' wars and kill millions.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , War Quotes , Fighting Quotes

No war is inevitable until it breaks out.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Peace Quotes , War Quotes

In my opinion we learn nothing from history except the infinite variety of men's behaviour. We study it, as we listen to music or read poetry, for pleasure, not for instruction.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Men Quotes , Behaviour Quotes

History is not a catalogue but...a convincing version of events.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , History Quotes , Events Quotes

The crusade against Communism was even more imaginary than the specter of Communism.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Fake People Quotes , Communism Quotes

A master of improvised speech and improvised policies.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Judging Quotes , Speech Quotes

Human blunders usually do more to shape history than human wickedness.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Witty Quotes , War Quotes

When I write I have no loyalty except to historical truth as I see it and care no more about British achievements and mistakes than any other.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Loyalty Quotes , Mistake Quotes

Knowledge breeds doubt, not certainty, And the more we know the more uncertain we become.

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Tags : A. J. P. Taylor Quotes , Doubt Quotes , Uncertain Quotes