1892 quotes by historians for you to enjoy

In 1961, an official U.S. commission oversaw thousands of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Civil War. All 50 states joined in, but not surprisingly, the biggest events took place in the 11 southern states that made up the defeated Confederacy. Amanda Foreman

War Celebrate Events Made Took States Thousands Civil Civil War Joined Anniversary Surprisingly Up Southern Confederacy Southern States American Commission Official Biggest Place Defeated

What makes 'The Marriage of Souls' such a wonderful book is Collins's intricate reconstruction of the late eighteenth-century world. Simplicity and philosophy are the hallmarks of eighteenth-century art and architecture. The classically pure lines look deceptively simple and unburdened by heavy symbolism or imagery. Amanda Foreman

For people like me, who have got their flags and wars mixed up, I think it should be pointed out that there may have been only one War of 1812, but there are four distinct versions of it - the American, the British, the Canadian, and the Native American. Amanda Foreman

War Me People Think Distinct Out Only Pointed Like Got Mixed Been Versions Up Canadian American Flags May Native Native American Should Who Wars Four British

I want my children to see what all my work leads to. Amanda Foreman

Work All My Work See Leads Children Want

The narrative of 'man the hunter' presupposes that men provided the nutrition, invented the tools, and established social organization and communication through the hunt, and that women were just sitting by the fire waiting for evolution to drag them out by the hair in the 1960s in order to participate. Amanda Foreman

Man Waiting Women Communication Organization Men Fire Hair Tools Nutrition Evolution Hunt Out Hunter Invented Through Participate Narrative Were Provided Sitting Just Established Order Social Them Social Organization Drag

Foot-binding, which started out as a fashionable impulse, became an expression of Han identity after the Mongols invaded China in 1279. The fact that it was only performed by Chinese women turned the practice into a kind of shorthand for ethnic pride. Amanda Foreman

When Napoleon abdicated in April 1814, Britain expected that America would soon lose heart and surrender, too. From then on, London's chief aims were to bring a swift conclusion to the war and capture as much territory as possible in order to gain the best advantage in the inevitable peace talks. Amanda Foreman

War Best Surrender Peace Heart Inevitable Lose Too Aims April Possible Would London Advantage Soon Napoleon Talks Territory Conclusion Were Chief America Expected Order Gain Then Much Swift Capture Bring Britain

For America, 1812 became the war in which it had finally gained its independence. For Britain, 1812 became the skirmish it had contained, while winning the real war against its greatest nemesis, Napoleon. Amanda Foreman

War Independence Finally Winning Had Contained Napoleon Became Greatest Real America Real War Which Gained While Against Britain

When I read the news that Wonder Woman was going to be resurrected for a blockbuster movie in 2016, 'Batman vs. Superman', it made me excited - and anxious. Would the producers give her a role as fierce as her origins - and maybe some shoulder straps - or would she just be cartoon eye candy? Amanda Foreman

News Me Woman Made Superman Just Be Batman Eye Would Cartoon Some Give Excited She Read Blockbuster Wonder Wonder Woman Role Anxious Going Maybe Just Candy Movie Fierce Producers Shoulder Origins Her

The creators of Wonder Woman had no interest in proving an actual link to the past. In some parts of the academic world, however, the historical existence of the Amazons, or any matriarchal society, has long been a raging issue. Amanda Foreman

Woman World Long Past Society Some No Interest Had Academic Parts Issue However Been Existence Historical Proving Link Wonder Wonder Woman Any Interest Raging Creators Actual

I think that once you become a parent, you cease to think of yourself as a hero or heroine. Amanda Foreman

You Yourself Hero Become Think Heroine Once Parent Cease

I was a graduate student at Oxford when I discovered Georgiana. Amanda Foreman

Student Discovered Graduate Graduate Student Oxford

We moved around so much when I was young. I was very shy, so shy that I would walk across the street if I saw someone I knew rather than deal with talking to them. Amanda Foreman

Walk Young Saw Would Someone Rather Knew Talking Around Deal Very Than Moved Them Much Across Street Shy

Despite the ever-increasing financial pressures experienced by writers and the ever-decreasing space afforded by the media to books, writers are still willing to aim for quality and to take risks. Amanda Foreman

Risks Quality Financial Space Aim Despite Books Pressures Willing Take Writers Still Afforded Experienced Media

Political correctness may make for smooth edges, but it does little for the imagination and nothing for the arts. Writers work best when they are exploring at the outer limits of what is traditional, acceptable, or conventional. Amanda Foreman

It isn't enough for a book to be transporting or entertaining; it must also come from a place of knowledge and an understanding of aesthetics. Even where a longlisted book wears its craftsmanship lightly, the power of the writing shines through. Amanda Foreman

When women do take on traditionally male subjects, certain male colleagues can seem affronted that a woman has dared to trespass on their subject. I could given you dozens of examples, but here's one: Max Hastings's review in the 'Sunday Times' in 2009 of Miranda Carter's book 'The Three Emperors'. Amanda Foreman

The most famous line in gastronomic history, 'Let them eat cake', turns out to have been an eighteenth-century cliche. According to Antonia Fraser, the French accused every foreign queen of saying it, beginning in 1670 with the wife of Louis XIV, Marie Theresa. Amanda Foreman

Marie-Antoinette was born in 1755, the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and Emperor Francis I. She was intelligent and artistic but devoid of the ambition or calculation required to survive in the fetid atmosphere of the French court. In many ways, her character was not unlike that of Mary, Queen of Scots. Amanda Foreman

Character Queen Daughter Ambition Unlike Francis Ways Born Atmosphere Mary Emperor Calculation Devoid French She Court Austria Intelligent Survive Artistic To Survive Required Youngest Many Theresa Her Maria

With every generation comes a new wave of hopefuls: small-town escapees, European refugees, disaffected Londoners. Amanda Foreman

Generation Every Wave New Refugees European

It might sound strange to describe New Yorkers as insecure when they delight so much in the cult of success. The display of wealth here, especially new wealth, is indeed wonderfully frank, from the super-long limousines which clog up the roads to the voluptuous fur coats that adorn both men and women. Amanda Foreman

Success Strange Women Wealth Men Men And Women Fur Indeed Frank Insecure Both Both Men And Women Adorn Delight Roads Voluptuous New Sound Cult Up Clog Wonderfully New Yorkers Which Might Much Coats Describe Display Here

'The Marriage of Souls', like 'The Rationalist', is an exploration of humanist philosophy wrapped between the delicate leaves of an eighteenth-century tale. The story of the two novels - and they should be read as a two-volume work - centres around the old war-horse of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl. But what a boy and what a girl. Amanda Foreman

Work Marriage Old Girl Meets Philosophy Finds Wrapped Delicate Between Tale Like Read Around Boy Souls Leaves Loses Story Should Exploration Novels Humanist Two

In real life, it is the hare who wins. Every time. Look around you. And in any case it is my contention that Aesop was writing for the tortoise market. Hares have no time to read. They are too busy winning the game. Anita Brookner

Life Time You Game Writing Real Life Busy Every Too Every Time Market Tortoise Case Winning Wins No Time Look Read Around Contention Real Any Who Hare

Quotes by Historians