Most of the heroes we remember we remember only because they won. To win you must be ruthless. Single-minded ... which was why he had no friends just admirers.

David Gemmell

Categorized in : Winning Hero No Friends

Do not speak badly of yourself, for the warrior that is inside you hears your words and is lessened by them.

warrior speak

Nothing of real worth can ever be bought. Love, friendship, honour, valour, respect. All these things have to be earned.

friendship-love respect real

A warrior feeds his body well; he trains it; works on it. Where he lacks knowledge, he studies. But above all he must believe. He must believe in his strength of will, of purpose, of heart and soul.

heart meaningful believe

Man is capable of greatness, love, nobility, compassion. Yet never forget that his capacity for evil is infinite. It is a sad truth, boy, that if you sit now and think of the worst tortures that could ever be inflicted on another human being, they will already have been practiced somewhere. If there is one sound that follows the march of humanity, it is the scream.

greatness men boys

Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against the evil strong. And never allow thoughts of gain to lead you into the persuit of evil.

strong lying children

May all your dreams but one come true, for what is life without a... by David Gemmell

May all your dreams but one come true, for what is life without a dream?

what-is-life dream may

I make little distinction between those who commit evil and those... by David Gemmell

I make little distinction between those who commit evil and those who stand by and do nothing.

atheism evil fear

There's no shame in fear. But understand this - the coward is ruled by fear, while the hero rides it like a wild stallion.

coward hero fear

Heroes are people who face down their fears. It is that simple. A child afraid of the dark who one day blows out the candle; a women terrified of the pain of childbirth who says, 'It is time to become a mother'. Heroism does not always live on the battlefield.

pain mother children

Love is a mystery. We embrace it where we can. Mostly we do not choose whom we love. It just happens. A voice speaks to us, in ways the ears cannot hear. We recognize a beauty the eye does not see. We experience a change in our hearts that no voice can describe.

eye heart love-is

Fear is an aid to the warrior. It is a small fire burning. It heats the muscles, making us stronger. Panic comes when the fire is out of control, consuming all courage and pride.

warrior pride fire

I have discovered in my long life that there are many words and phrases which have more power than any spell of magick. The most well-known of these is, of course, I love you. But by far the most deadly is, if only. For these two words can strip a man's strength, his courage and his confidence. They become the father of regret and anguish and pain.

regret pain father

Many fantasy novels - 'Lord of the Rings', for instance, or 'Lavondyss' by Robert Holdstock - are beautifully written. Geoff Ryman's 'The Child Garden' is exquisite and utterly beguiling. Mervyn Peake's 'Gormenghast' trilogy is an astonishing piece of multi-faceted storytelling. So quality of writing does not condemn the genre.

garden writing children

Be at peace, my friend. One thing I have learnt about Death is th... by David Gemmell

Be at peace, my friend. One thing I have learnt about Death is that his bark is worse than his bite.

bark my-friends bites

We make choices everyday, some of them good, some of them bad. And - if we are strong enough - we live with the consequences.

everyday choices strong

A man's strength is ultimately born of his knowledge of his own w... by David Gemmell

A man's strength is ultimately born of his knowledge of his own weakness.

born weakness men

I underestimated you, woman." ... "The cry of men down the ages. by David Gemmell

I underestimated you, woman." ... "The cry of men down the ages.

cry age men

I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished, for without them we are no more than beasts roaming the land.

loyalty stupid believe

Evil lives in a pit. If you want to fight it, you must climb down into the slime to do so. White cloaks show the dirt more thank black, and silver tarnishes.

fighting evil white

Not one of the creatures of blood can escape death. We all face it, and succumb to it. It follows us like a dark shadow. Yet if we live in terror of it, then we do not live at all. Yes we are born alone, and yes we will die alone. But in between, Tae, we live. We know joy.

dark joy blood