1895 quotes by historians for you to enjoy

It's not right to think about all of Jewish-German history as shrouded by the smoke of the crematorium. Simon Schama

History Think About Smoke Right

We seem wired to grieve with greenery. Allowing the dead to dissolve into the earth, to become part of the cycle of the seasons, has, for millennia, held the promise of cheating mortality. Simon Schama

Cheating Become Dissolve Earth Promise Seem Wired Allowing Part Mortality Dead Grieve Held Cycle Seasons Millennia

The British who arrived in the United States in the eighteen-thirties and forties had imagined the young republic as a wide-eyed adolescent, socially ungainly and politically gauche, but with some hint of promise. Simon Schama

Young States Promise Some Adolescent Had Hint Arrived Politically Republic Forties Who United United States Socially British Imagined

I did an audiobook for 'Rough Crossings,' which I thought was one of the best books I had published. But it was an absolute embarrassment to read it. All these horrible mucked-up bits of syntax, over-the-top adjectives. I found myself editing it while reading. Alert listeners will notice the difference. Simon Schama

Best Myself Editing Will Thought Reading Books Syntax Bits Adjectives Embarrassment Horrible Absolute Had Over-The-Top Read Did Listeners Difference Which While Notice Rough Found Published Alert

I find it very hard to write about Jewish history. Simon Schama

History Find About Write Very Hard Jewish

The Elephantine papyri - written as some of the books of the Bible are being written - is true social and legal documentation, and to historians overwhelmingly powerful and moving, even when ostensibly about trivial things. Simon Schama

Bible Legal Books Some About Trivial Written True Powerful Documentation Historians Being Moving Social Even Things

In the Einstein way, I can't believe in a universe that doesn't have some sort of prime mover, identical with all of created nature. I have a whole lot of a harder time with supposing the fine print of the Torah was a direct revelation. Simon Schama

The Bible, for all its riches, is not a document of social history. Simon Schama

History Bible Document Social Riches

It was the Sephardi Jews who brought fish and chips to Britain, actually, believe it or not, from the Mediterranean world. Apart from actually eating and selling fish and chips, they were kind of debt enforcers. Simon Schama

World Believe Mediterranean Jews Kind Eating Brought Fish Were Debt Selling Apart Chips Who Actually Britain

I do not want to be misunderstood that you need a dose of persecution in order, really, to have a sense of your identity. Otherwise, you know, there would be no American Jews. Even if you're not strictly, fiercely Orthodox, you commit yourselves to a community of memory. Simon Schama

You Memory Sense Community Jews Otherwise Strictly Would Would-Be Know Identity Misunderstood Persecution American Commit Order Want Dose Fiercely Really Your Even Orthodox Need

America is truly special because it's founded on an idea. It's the ideological and philosophical equivalent of a formless God, in other words, you know? It's, again, the only great country in the world that it is formed out of words. Simon Schama

God Great You Words World Country Other Philosophical Great Country Out Only Idea Know Ideological Because Equivalent Truly America In Other Words Formed Again Special Founded

Jewish history has been in my cultural DNA since I was a child growing up in post-war London. In the midst of that dark, gray, lamenting monochromatic world of the '50s, I had a sense that both Jewish and English history were full of color and light and animation. Simon Schama

History World Dark Light Sense Has-Been Post-War London Both Color Had Animation Since Were Been Cultural Up Child Midst Full English Growing Growing Up Gray Jewish

I used to have a monthly cookery column, and am a big cook, so that whole sense of connecting what one does with food to one's cultural identity has always been fascinating to me. Simon Schama

Food Me Big Sense Monthly Column Identity Does Always Am Been Cultural Cook Used Cookery Connecting Fascinating Whole

The most gloomy prognosis about Jewish life is that it will disappear between the two extremes of ultra-Orthodoxy on the one hand and total assimilation on the other. But those are very exaggerated scenarios. Simon Schama

Life Will Other Extremes Those Total Exaggerated About Scenarios Disappear Between Most Gloomy Hand Very Assimilation Two Jewish

From the very beginning, history wasn't content simply to be nostalgic fairytales; it wanted to make you think. Simon Schama

History You Beginning Think Simply Make Content Very Wanted Nostalgic

Jewish comedy doesn't come out of nothing. Jewish music doesn't come out of nothing... I don't want to be part of a story where Jews are just victims or bullies - and I'm not saying that's what the Israelis are. Simon Schama

Music Saying Comedy Nothing Jews Out Part Come Israelis Bullies Just Where Want Story Victims Jewish

The novelist's obligation to remake the sensuous texture of a vanished world is also the historian's. The strongest fiction writers often do deep research to make the thought and utterances of lost time credible. Simon Schama

The Jews invented a portable religion in the shape of the Bible, the Torah, and eventually the Talmud, and with other portable forms of writing. So it's now possible to carry the religion, that is embedded in that writing, away from the ruins of political and military power. Simon Schama

I am passionately invested in the survival of Israel and everything Israel represents. But I am extremely critical of much of its policy. I believe that the occupation must end. And if it doesn't, it will end Israel. I'm not in favor of settlements. Simon Schama

Survival Will Believe Settlements Everything Extremely Favor Critical Must Invested Policy Occupation Am Israel Passionately End Represents Much

At 11, 12, I thought I was clumsy, ugly, a mess, an unappealing person, but I did have the gift of the gab. I had the school record at Haberdashers for consecutive detentions for simply speaking out of turn. Simon Schama

Gift School Ugly Thought Out Record Had Simply Mess Person Did Clumsy Turn Speaking Consecutive

I was conscious of being wordy as a child. I was a terrible talker. I memorised the Latin names of flowers at five; I was shown off as a freak. My father encouraged me to be wordier than I was: he'd been a street orator at the time of Mosley, and his ideal primary concert speech was Henry V's speech before Harfleur. Simon Schama

Time Me Father Before Orator Latin Freak He Primary Ideal Names Terrible Talker Concert Been His Encouraged Off Five Than Child Being Wordy Shown Henry Street Conscious Flowers Speech

Quotes by Historians