“Studying history is for tourists - polite, tidy people with clean desks and clean consciences. Making history is for people willing to get their hands dirty, to make mistake and lie when necessary, so that someday historians can sit quietly at their desks and act shocked.”

“Studying history is for tourists - polite, tidy people with clean desks and clean consciences. Making history is for people willing to get their hands dirty, to make mistake and lie when necessary, so that someday historians can sit quietly at their desks and act shocked.”

“The secret of victory is to find the point of maximum vulnerability and then strike. No matter your feelings. No matter how much you respect the enemy.”

“The secret is to create the condition for change, a process that sometimes takes decades, and then use certain men as pivot points, a fulcrum to move history.”

“The hardest bit of information to extract is the first piece.”

“Give the agent something easy to reject, something to justify his authority - that way they won't look too closely at the rest of your things.”

“Battle is a frightening thing, a terrible thing, but once you develop a taste for it…nothing else comes close.”

“Once you open up a secret, it starts leaking out all over.”

“A strong man tied to a weak man… When there is trouble, the strong man's strength counts for nothing.”

“Pray for victory, plan for disaster.”

“When you're in a weak position, getting the best deal possible is a victory.”

“Great risks could be undertaken only after great preparation.”