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Quotes from A Tradition of Victory — Douglas Reeman

1924–2017 England

← All quotes by Douglas Reeman

12 quotes

I have always said that a captain should act on his own initiative if his set orders tell him nothing.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

Damnation on doubt. It kills more good sailors than round shot!

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

Each gun-captain was a king, every breech a small demanding kingdom.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

They don't have to fight wars! it mmight knock some sense into therir heads if they did!

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

Routine and discipline. It held the ship together no less securely than copper and tar.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

Wars were not made by young men, he thought, yet they had to fight them.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

We cannot always know the man who leads, just as I am no longer privileged to recognize the face of every sailor and marine who obeys.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

'Remember, Thomas a victory now will put heart into the ordinary people at home. They've had much to bear over the years.It's not only sailors who suffer in a war, you know.'

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

'Do more than think about it. You are a flag-officer, and must not involve yourself with the affairs of subordinates. You command, they obey, it is the order of things, as well as you know.'

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

You know how sailors love to create mystery where there is none.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

He was ashamed and embarrassed, angry too that such a man could end like this. If peace did eventually come, there would be many more redcoats begging in the streets.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

Bolitho heard the blare of a trumpet and saw the sun gleam across black-plumed helmets and breast-plates as the horses changed formation and cantered into another wall of dust.

A Tradition of Victory (1981)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Douglas Reeman (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.