David Gemmell Quotes

War is the father and king of all: some he has made gods, and some men; some slaves and some free.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

War's a game, which, were their subjects wise, Kings would not play at.

Democracy is a request from a War Board, in the middle of a morning in the middle of a war, wanting to know what democracy is.

Every US President has to have a war.

The object of war is victory; that of victory is conquest; and that of conquest preservation.

War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.

War is the trade of Kings.

Unless one is inordinately fond of subordination, one is always at war.

There are no warlike people - just warlike leaders.

War is the continuation of politics by other means.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

The military don't start wars. Politicians start wars.

An army is a nation; it is one of the vices of our age.

This battle will decide who will rule Asia.

We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years … and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home … to live our own lives in peace. But there comes a time when soft power or talking with evil will not work where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works.

I could have been very popular if I had launched a military attack on Iran but I chose patience.

Law stands mute in the midst of arms

Policy is not made with papers or ceremonies. Policy is made with iron and blood.

The end of war is to procure by force the justice which cannot otherwise be obtained.

The tyrant is always stirring up some war or another, in order that the people may require a leader.

To be a great leader, one unfortunately needs a war.

It takes a certain political initiative to make people kill one another.

There is no passion to which the rulers of a people can address themselves with greater [political] effect [than war.]

The Artillery Barrage: The last reasoning of Kings.