Only a fool wants war, but once a war starts then it cannot be fought half-heartedly. It cannot even be fought with regret, but must be waged with a savage joy in defeating the enemy, and it is that savage joy that inspires our bards to write their greatest songs about love and war.
BERNARD CORNWELLWe don’t build,’ I said to my son, ‘we just destroy.
More Bernard Cornwell Quotes
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Book tours and research provide a lot of travel – too much, I sometimes think, but we do take vacations.
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Research is a lifelong occupation so it’s hard to factor it in, but I reckon most books take 5 months from start to finish.
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Wyrd bith ful araed (Fate is inexorable).
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But when you have order, you don’t need Gods. When everything is well ordered and disciplined then nothing is unexpected.
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I’ll happily mentor anyone who wants mentoring, and most of that goes on by internet rather than face to face.
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The bards sing of love, they celebrate slaughter, they extol kings and flatter queens, but were I a poet I would write in praise of friendship.
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I’m fortunate that the books sell, but even more fortunate to live in Chatham, to be very happily married and to have, on the whole, a fairly clear conscience.
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Looking back, of course, it was irresponsible, mad, forlorn, idiotic, but if you don’t take chances then you’ll never have a winning hand, and I’ve no regrets.
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Of course some days are easier than others, but my worst day is better than being in most humdrum occupations.
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Latin! The language of God! Or perhaps He speaks Hebrew? I suppose that’s more likely and it will make things rather awkward in heaven, won’t it? Will we all have to learn Hebrew?
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I do understand that you can look into someone’s eyes,” I heard myself saying, “and suddenly know that life will be impossible without them.
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Even the nailed god cannot change that truth. And I was a warrior, and in a world at war the warrior must be cruel.
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We make children and wealth and amass land and build halls and assemble armies and give great feasts, but only one thing survives us. Reputation.
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Because there could not be peace, not while two tribes shared one land. One tribe must win.
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You know what circumcision is, Private?
BERNARD CORNWELL