Eisenhower is my choice as the American of the 20th Century. Of all the men I've studied and written about, he is the brightest and the best. Stephen Ambrose More Quotes by Stephen Ambrose More Quotes From Stephen Ambrose There are many rules of good writing, but the best way to find them is to be a good reader. Stephen Ambrose readerwritingway At the core, the American citizen soldiers knew the difference between right and wrong, and they didn't want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So they fought, and won, and we all of us, living and yet to be born, must be forever profoundly grateful. Stephen Ambrose gratefulfightingwar The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future. Stephen Ambrose faithinspirationalpast D-Day represents the greatest achievement of the american people and system in the 20th century. It was the pivot point of the 20th century. It was the day on which the decision was made as to who was going to rule in this world in the second half of the 20th century. Is it going to be Nazism, is it going to be communism, or are the democracies going to prevail? Stephen Ambrose warpeacepeople The number one secret of being a successful writer is this: marry an English major. Stephen Ambrose successfulsecretnumbers Friends never cheat on each other, or take advantage, or lie. Friends do not spy on one another, yet they have no secrets. Friends glory in each other's successes and are downcast by the failures. Friends minister to each other, nurse each other. Friends give to each other, worry about each other, stand always ready to help. Perfect friendship is rarely achieved, but at its height it is an ecstasy. Stephen Ambrose nursegivinglying Nothing is inevitable in life. People make choices, and those choices have results, and we all live with the results. Stephen Ambrose resultschoicespeople Lieutenant Welsh remembered walking around among the sleeping men, and thinking to himself that 'they had looked at and smelled death all around them all day but never even dreamed of applying the term to themselves. They hadn't come here to fear. They hadn't come to die. They had come to win. Stephen Ambrose sacrificesleepmen Friendships are different from all other relationships. Unlike acquaintanceship, friendship is based on love. Unlike lovers and married couples, it is free of jealousy. Unlike children and parents, it knows neither criticism nor resentment. Friendship has no status in law. Business partnerships are based on a contract. So is marriage. Parents are bound by law. But friendships are freely entered into, freely given, and freely exercised. Stephen Ambrose couplefriendshipchildren In the 19th century, we devoted our best minds to exploring nature. In the 20th century, we devoted ourselves to controlling and harnessing it. In the 21st century, we must devote ourselves to restoring it. Stephen Ambrose environmentalmindrivers The Holocaust was the most evil crime ever committed. Stephen Ambrose holocaustcrimeevil The American Constitution is the greatest governing document, and at some 7,000 words, just about the shortest. Stephen Ambrose governingdocumentsconstitution It is through history that we learn who we are and how we got that way, why and how we changed, why the good sometimes prevailed and sometimes did not. Stephen Ambrose who-we-aresometimesway When Hitler declared war on the United States, he was betting that German soldiers, raised up in the Hitler Youth, would always out fight American soldiers, brought up in the Boy Scouts. He lost that bet. The Boy Scouts had been taught how to figure their way out of their own problems. Stephen Ambrose fightingboyswar I'm no politician. I'm an historian who has learned through a lifetime of studying that nothing in the world beats universal education. Stephen Ambrose studylifetimeworld Washington's character was rock solid. He came to stand for the new nation and its republican virtues, which was why he became our first President by unanimous choice. Stephen Ambrose rockschoicescharacter My favorite book is the last one printed, which is always better than those that were published earlier. Stephen Ambrose my-favoritelastsbook My first book was the book that changed my life. Stephen Ambrose changedbookfirsts In 1945, there were more people killed, more buildings destroyed, more high explosives set off, more fires burning than before or since. Stephen Ambrose burningfirepeople American is the first democratic nation-state. Stephen Ambrose democraticstatesfirsts
