Simon Sebag Montefiore Quotes

Simon Sebag Montefiore
Simon Sebag Montefiore
British Historian
Born: Jun 27, 1965
Always Family Great History People Time
Related authors: A. J. P. Taylor Antony Beevor Arnold J. Toynbee Arthur Helps C. Northcote Parkinson Linda Colley Norman Davies Simon Schama
All tyrannies are virtuoso displays, over many years, of cunning, risk-taking, terror, delusion, narcissism, showmanship, and charm, distilled into a spectacle of total personal control. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Narcissism Control Virtuoso Distilled Total Charm Risk-Taking Delusion Over Terror Years Cunning Personal Many Showmanship Spectacle
A revolution resembles the death of a fading star, an exhilarating Technicolor explosion that gives way not to an ordered new galaxy but to a nebula, a formless cloud of shifting energy. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Death Shifting Revolution Cloud Energy Way Gives Fading New Exhilarating Ordered Galaxy Explosion Resembles Star
I was driving across Georgia with a warlord and his bodyguards riding shotgun with their Kalashnikovs in a convoy of Mercedes and Land Rovers. The guy put on Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' on a cassette, which they played on loudspeakers as we raced across the mountains, and I remember thinking, 'This sure beats respectable life in England.' Simon Sebag Montefiore
Life Dark Remember Moon Dark Side Mountains Thinking Side Respectable Guy Cassette Mercedes Beats Driving Put Sure His Pink Georgia Which Land Shotgun Across Bodyguards England Riding Played Floyd
In Georgia, where I spend much time, the democratically elected pro-western President Mikhail Saakashvili has been beleaguered by a riotous opposition which proposes creating a constitutional monarchy under the Bagrationi dynasty, with a Spanish racing driver, Prince 'Jorge' Bagrationi, as king. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Time King President Spend Has-Been Constitutional Driver Proposes Prince Democratically Been Opposition Georgia Where Which Dynasty Spanish Elected Much Racing Creating Monarchy
When we were in school, we were told that Stalin was a madman who got control of Europe, which teaches you nothing. Simon Sebag Montefiore
You School Control Nothing Madman Got Were Which Stalin Teaches Who Europe
I enjoy tequila, which has a strange effect on people and makes parties more fun than warm white wine. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Strange People Wine White Enjoy More Tequila Parties Makes Effect Than Which Warm Fun
Most history books are about power. Simon Sebag Montefiore
History Power Books About Most History Books
I'm the sort of person who, if I arrive in a city under siege, in the middle of nowhere, I'll always find my way to the leader of the rebels. I just don't know how. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Leader Siege Way City Find Know Sort Always How Arrive Person Just Middle Who Rebels Nowhere
I love the heat and the excitement of Israel, and I will always love Jerusalem. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Love Will Excitement Always Israel Heat Jerusalem
I can never resist Ruritanian intrigue: I was once charged with the task of offering the Estonian throne to Prince Edward. Feeling like a Dumas Musketeer on a mission, I did so, but he turned it down. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Feeling Down Once Intrigue Charged Throne Never He Like Prince Mission Edward Offering Task Did Turned Resist
The tsar of War and Peace, especially in the BBC version, is a complete popinjay and a useless character. The real tsar, Alexander I, had an amazing career. Simon Sebag Montefiore
War Character Peace Amazing Alexander Complete Had Real Version Useless Career
In 1918, a police chief of Jerusalem was a Montefiore. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Police Chief Jerusalem
Writing about Jerusalem was very stressful; every word counts. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Writing Word Every About Counts Very Jerusalem Stressful
I don't feel that Jewish people have a class. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Class People Jewish People Feel Jewish
There is a view of Russian exceptionalism, that they are a unique civilisation, a view right since Ivan the Terrible that Russia is a special civilisation with a special culture. Putin is pushing that now. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Culture Russia Russian Civilisation Pushing Putin Since Terrible View Special Unique Now Right
I always wanted to write a history of Jerusalem. Simon Sebag Montefiore
History Write Always Wanted Jerusalem
A crenelated wall of books encircles my bed, its tottering towers looming ever taller, always on the verge of collapsing onto oblivious sleepers. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Books Collapsing Oblivious Onto Towers Looming Taller Always Bed Verge Wall Ever
I read many wonderful novels, though I now find the idea of literary fiction obsolete. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Wonderful Though Find Idea Obsolete Read Fiction Literary Literary Fiction Many Novels Now
Nicholas I has been called 'Genghis Khan with a telegraph.' Stalin was 'Genghis Khan with a telephone.' But Mr. Putin is not Genghis Khan with a BlackBerry. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Khan Telegraph Telephone Has-Been Blackberry Putin Been Stalin
Under Stalin, artists weren't dissidents; all they hoped was to survive and write. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Hoped Write Were Survive Artists To Survive Stalin
'Daddy used to be a Georgian,' Stalin's son, Vasily, once said. Actually, the dictator didn't truly become Russian; he remained Georgian culturally. Yet he embraced the imperial mission of the Russian people. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Son People Become Once Embraced Russian Russian People Remained Imperial He Mission Said Truly Georgian Dictator Stalin Used Daddy Actually
Believe it or not, some Western analysts in the 1930s insisted that Stalin was a 'moderate,' controlled by extremists like the secret police chief Nikolai Yezhov. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Police Believe Analyst Secret Extremists Some Insisted Like Western Chief Moderate Controlled Stalin
A reforming liberal leader in Russia is the Holy Grail of Kremlinology, but the search for one is as misguided and hopeless as that for the relic of the Last Supper. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Hopeless Leader Liberal Relic Russia Supper Misguided Reforming Grail Holy Holy Grail Search Last
The disorder, uncertainty, and strife of a revolution make citizens yearn for stable authority, or they turn to radicalism. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Revolution Strife Citizens Uncertainty Make Yearn Authority Stable Turn Disorder
Regarding themselves as irreplaceable, both Lenin and Stalin tried in different ways to destroy their successors - Lenin through a testament that attacked Stalin and Trotsky, Stalin through purges culminating in the Doctors' Plot of 1953. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Doctors Ways Destroy Plot Tried Both Attacked Through Testament Irreplaceable Different Regarding Lenin Stalin Themselves Different Ways
Russia is so feudal in its system of patronage and reward that it is virtually impossible for a leader to hand over power without controlling his successor or at least receiving an exemption from prosecution - something Mr. Putin granted his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, in 1999. Simon Sebag Montefiore
Impossible Reward Power Leader Controlling Virtually System Russia Something Putin Prosecution Over Exemption Without Least His Hand Feudal Predecessor Patronage Successor Granted Receiving
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