"Euphemism is a human device to conceal the horrors of reality."
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Quote collection
Paul Johnson quotes (page 2 of 3)
56 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Every good historian is almost by definition a revisionist. He looks at the accepted view of a particular historic episode or period with a very critical eye."
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"As a child I found railroad stations exciting, mysterious, and even beautiful, as indeed they often were."
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"Conservation of energy. Never stand up when you can sit down, and never sit down when you can lie down."
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"...the century's most radical vice... the notion that human beings can be shoveled around like concrete."
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"Democracy has many enemies, and the terrorist is only one of them."
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"The most intimidating world leader was Lyndon Johnson, who became U.S. President when John Kennedy was assassinated. He exulted in this power and liked to inspire fear."
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"If we want foxes, to observe and delight in, we must have hunting."
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"Human beings are infinitely worth studying, especially the peculiarities that often go along with outstanding gifts."
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"You know you're an Arizona native when you have to look up "mass transit" in the dictionary."
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"As the CIA and KGB, like God and Satan, fight Miltonic battles across five continents."
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"Long periods of recession, which tend to be self-perpetuating, are usually ended by war, or by preparations for it."
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"I like that lady - Sarah Palin. She's great. I like the cut of her jib."
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"At some time in their careers, most good historians itch to write a history of the world, endeavor to discover what makes humanity the most destructive and creative of species."
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"If I see a door ajar, I push on it to see how far it will open, and if it opens wide I go through it."
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"I very much wanted to be editor of the 'New Statesman!' But I never wanted to be prime minister, except maybe as a little boy."
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"Scanning the newspapers and absorbing with a mixture of incredulity and indignation the enormities they report, I conclude that what England lacks today is, quite simply, sense."
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"The richness and variety, and indeed the advance, of our culture depend upon the continuation of this conflict [between conservatives and radicals], which is deeply rooted in human nature."
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"This book is dedicated to the people of America--strong, outspoken, intense in their convictions, sometimes wrong-headed but always generous and brave, with a passion for justice no nation has ever matched."
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"It takes less than a decade for today's luxury to become a universal necessity."
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