History is one of the most remarkable things in our lives. The mere fact it occurred makes it remarkable.
—Unknown
History is always written wrong, and so always needs to be rewritten.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
The main thing is to make history, not to write it.
—Otto von Bismarck (1815–98) German Chancellor, Prime Minister
To believe that what has not occurred in history will not occur at all, is to argue disbelief in the dignity of man.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Caesar had perished from the world of men, had not his sword been rescued by his pen.
—Henry Vaughan (1621–95) Anglo-Welsh Metaphysical Poet
History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.
—Edward Gibbon (1737–94) English Historian, Politician
While we read history we make history.
—George William Curtis (1824–92) American Writer, Editor, Orator
History is strewn thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill, but a lie, well told, is immortal.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
History books that contain no lies are extremely dull.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
History is an account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
In our wildest aberrations we dream of an equilibrium we have left behind and which we naively expect to find at the end of our errors. Childish presumption which justifies the fact that child-nations, inheriting our follies, are now directing our history.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Novelist
Providence conceals itself in the details of human affairs, but becomes unveiled in the generalities of history.
—Alphonse de Lamartine (1790–1869) French Poet, Politician, Historian
The historian must have some conception of how men who are not historians behave. Otherwise he will move in a world of the dead. He can only gain that conception through personal experience, and he can only use his personal experiences when he is a genius.
—E. M. Forster (1879–1970) English Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist
Ignorance is the first requisite of the historian—ignorance, which simplifies and clarifies, which selects and omits, with a placid perfection unattainable by the highest art.
—Lytton Strachey (1880–1932) British Biographer, Essayist
I love those historians that are either very simple or most excellent. Such as are between both (which is the most common fashion), it is they that spoil all; they will needs chew our meat for us and take upon them a law to judge, and by consequence to square and incline the story according to their fantasy.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.
—African Proverb
Historians desiring to write the actions of men, ought to set down the simple truth, and not say anything for love or hatred; also to choose such an opportunity for writing as it may be lawful to think what they will, and write what they think, which is a rare happiness of the time.
—Walter Raleigh (1552–1618) English Courtier, Navigator, Poet
And having wisdom with each studious year, in meditation dwelt, with learning wrought, and shaped his weapon with an edge severe, sapping a solemn creed with solemn sneer.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The men who make history have not time to write it.
—Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich (1773–1859) Austrian Diplomat, Statesman
Every time history repeats itself the price goes up.
—Unknown
History is but a confused heap of facts.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
Historians are prophets with their face turned backward.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
God cannot alter the past, that is why he is obliged to connive at the existence of historians.
—Samuel Butler
History is more or less bunk. It’s tradition. We don’t want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker’s damn is the history we make today.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
What experience and history teach is this — that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it.
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) German Philosopher
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
It does seem so pleasant to talk with an old acquaintance who knows what you know. I see so many new folks nowadays who seem to have neither past nor future. Conversation has got to have some root in the past, or else you have got to explain every remark you make, and it wears a person out.
—Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909) American Children’s Writer, Novelist, Short Story Author
Reading maketh a full man; conference, a ready man: histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral philosophy, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Historian. A broad—gauge gossip.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
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