Alexander Gordon - He [Peter the Great] took his bottle heartily, s

He [Peter the Great] took his bottle heartily, so must all the company; for when he was merry himself he loved to see everybody so; though at the same time he could not endure habitual drinkers, for such he thought unfit for business.

Context

The distinction between recreational drinking and heavy drinking is a subtle one and rarely made until modern times. Most leaders who would not have heavy drinkers in positions of responsibility were usually themselves teetotalers and they were very rare. Heavy drinkers and alcoholics have been in positions of responsibility throughout history including modern times—eg House Ways & Means Chairman Wilbur Mills and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Peter was unusual in that he made the distinction.

Topics

Citations

Alexander Gordon, 1678-1728, 2nd Duke of Gordon, English General & Historian, History of Peter the Great, 1718

Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations

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