59 Erik Larson Quotes for You to Enjoy

Erik Larson

American Author

Born: Jan 3, 1954

Book Me People Time Writing You

Related authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald Frederick Douglass Helen Keller Henry David Thoreau Joyce Meyer Mark Twain Og Mandino Zig Ziglar

President Hindenburg had ultimate say over whether the government would survive or not. Erik Larson

Government President Say Would Had Over Ultimate Survive Whether

For 'Thunderstruck', I discarded about a dozen ideas. And then one afternoon, I was thinking about wireless. I don't know why. I guess because it's become so ubiquitous. I was thinking that maybe there's something I could do about the origin of wireless, so I did what any self-respecting person does these days: I Googled 'wireless.' Erik Larson

I usually look for stories with barriers to entry, something complex enough that no one else is going to do it. Erik Larson

Enough Else Complex Something Entry No-One Look Going Stories Barriers

The Lusitania is a monument to this optimism, to the hubris of the era. I love that, because where there is hubris, there is tragedy. Erik Larson

Love Monument Because Era Hubris Tragedy Optimism Where

I was a promiscuous reader. I loved Nancy Drew books and Tom Swift - never the Hardy Boys - but I also read Dumas, Dickens, Poe, Conan Doyle, and Cornelius Ryan's war books. As to favorite character: I'm torn between Nancy, on whom I had an unseemly crush, and Edmond Dantes, the Count of Monte Cristo. Erik Larson

War Character Monte Books Favorite Promiscuous Torn Drew Poe Count Never Had Conan Between Crush Nancy Also Read Reader Boy Dickens Loved Swift Tom Whom Hardy

When I'm considering an idea, and there is an element of hubris involved, I generally feel comfortable that it's going to be a good story. Pride goeth before a fall. It's an element of a lot of big stories. Erik Larson

Good Pride Big Fall Before Considering Good Story Generally Idea Feel Involved Comfortable Hubris Lot Going Stories Story Element

At first glance, the story of the Lusitania doesn't seem like the sort of thing I would take on. I usually like ideas that are a little bit more complex, things that people don't know about - or maybe they once did, but now you bring it to life for them for the first time. Erik Larson

Life Time You People First Once Bit Complex Would About Seem More Take Glance Like Ideas Know Sort First Time Did Maybe Story Little Little Bit Them Now Thing Things Bring

It's essentially taught in high school and college survey courses as an item on a timeline: 'The Lusitania was sunk; the U.S. gets into World War I'. Erik Larson

War World School College High Sunk High School High School And College Courses Item Timeline Survey Gets Essentially Taught World War World War I

I'm an early riser, for one thing. This started back when our kids were small. My wife and I would get up at 4 A.M. so that we could have a couple of peaceful hours before they woke up. That pattern has continued. I get up, make coffee, and while it's brewing, I do 50 sit-ups. Erik Larson

Coffee Wife Before Back Our Kids Would One Thing Small Could Hours Couple Make Were Woke Continue Up Get While Pattern Peaceful Thing Early Started

My office is tiny. I think most people would be shocked if they came to my home and saw it. It is, in fact, the former makeup room of a gorgeous local TV newscaster. I keep a neat desk. Clutter makes me anxious. Erik Larson

Home Me People Gorgeous Think Local Saw TV Would Would-Be Fact Most Makes Makeup Came Shocked Office Anxious Tiny In Fact Former Room Clutter Keep Neat Desk

I read a book called 'Transatlantic', which is a history of the great shipping lines. Also, of course, I had read about the Titanic and saw Leo drowning at the end of the 'Titanic' movie and all that stuff. Erik Larson

Great History Book Saw About Had Stuff Drowning Also Read Course Lines Shipping End Movie Titanic Which Leo

'The Devil in the White City' - the 'White City' was the nickname for the World's Fair of 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Erik Larson

World Devil White City Fair Chicago Exposition Nickname

The toilet from time to time imparted to the boat the scent of a cholera hospital and could be flushed only when the U-boat was on the surface or at shallow depths, lest the undersea pressure blow material back into the vessel. Erik Larson

Time Pressure Scent Back Only Shallow Could Hospital Material Surface Vessel Blow From Time To Time Boat Depths Toilet Cholera Lest

I was once again looking for a book idea, and I remembered Holmes, but I specifically remembered that there was this World's Fair thing in the background. I thought, 'I'll read about the fair.' I had nothing better to do. I'd dismissed about a dozen ideas, and I was getting sort of antsy. I started reading, and that's where I got hooked. Erik Larson

Book World Better Thought Looking Reading Nothing Once Background Hooked About Had Remembered Idea Fair Ideas Read Sort Got Antsy Getting Where Again Holmes Dismissed Specifically Dozen Thing Started Started Reading

One of the things I've always loved is collecting telling little details. Erik Larson

Telling Collecting One Of The Things Details Always Loved Little Things

I find diplomatic histories the dullest of histories. Erik Larson

Find Diplomatic Histories

The one place where I do think our culture today has to be extremely careful is this whole thing about illegal aliens. Because any time you start defining a significant block of the population as 'others,' or as less than you, you start getting into dangerous waters. Erik Larson

Today Time You Culture Dangerous Alien Think Others Waters Our Extremely Defining Significant About Because Block Than Any Getting Where Place Less Illegal Illegal Aliens Whole Population Thing Start Careful

I'm open to writing just about anything. I love writing the books that I write. They do tend to be on dark subjects, but I don't think of myself necessarily as a dark-humored person. I like having a lot of fun. Erik Larson

Love Myself Writing Dark Think Books About Having Tend Write Open Like Lot Subjects Person Just Anything Fun Necessarily

I had a nice part at big newspapers, small newspapers, and then I went to a very big newspaper - 'The Wall Street Journal.' I wrote longer pieces, and I got tired of working so hard on stories that had a shelf life of essentially one day. So then I started working on longer magazine pieces and realized then that you might as well be writing a book. Erik Larson

Life Day Tired You Book Writing Big Nice One Day Magazine Small Had Part Journal Longer Pieces Wrote Well Shelf Shelf Life Got Very Wall Wall Street Wall Street Journal Essentially Stories Newspaper Might Newspapers Realized Then Working Hard Street Street Journal Started

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