David Gemmell on War
1948–2006 England
← All quotes by David Gemmell
9 quotes
When your life has been spent in one war after another for forty-five years, you have to be pretty handy to survive.
Most wars are fought for greed, but we are luckier here—we fight for our lives and the lives of the people we love.
Constantly at war, the tribesmen fought one another with pitiless ferocity, and only the very strong survived to manhood.
War. What was it about the prospect of some bloody enterprises that reduced men to the level of animals?
No matter how impossible this war, I shall fight to win. Whatever I have to do, I will do.
War is for men, for honor and glory.
It would be a fine thing if war could be conducted as a game where no lives were lost. At the end of a battle combatants could meet [...] and drink and talk.
I don't give a damn, laddie. Until the actual moment, when they cut me down, I shall still be looking to win. And the gods of war are fickle at best.
[...] In real war an officer may have only one chance at succeeding. Consider each problem.