Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events


Iraq, anyone?

I liked the poison one better

Lady Astor: "If you were my husband I would put poison in your tea."

Churchill: "Madam, if I were your husband I would drink it!"

Churchill is one of my favorite historical figures. I don't believe that I have ever read any other author with a greater grasp of the English language or ability to use it.

"I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter." On the eve of his 75th birthday

"Here is the answer which I will give to President Roosevelt... We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we will finish the job." Radio speech, 1941
"One day President Roosevelt told me that he was asking publicly for suggestions about what the war should be called. I said at once 'The Unnecessary War'." Second World War (1948)

"If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons."

"If the Almighty were to rebuild the world and asked me for advice, I would have English Channels round every country. And the atmosphere would be such that anything which attempted to fly would be set on fire."

A great man, indeed!

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

The main database quotes this as being by Churchill, but I have misgivings. Churchill's mother was American, of course, but even so there were few Americanisms in his vocabulary, so it would be very strange for him to say 'pants' instead of 'trousers', unless perhaps he was speaking to an American audience. If he did indeed say something like this then he must have been quoting from John Ploughman's Almanack by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892):

A lie travels round the world, while Truth is putting on her boots.

Inevitably, this gets attributed to Mark Twain and, equally inevitably, no precise source is ever given. Am I hopelessly wrong in all this? If so, please shoot me down in flames: I like to learn.

In the meantime can I suggest another quotation from Churchill, which many English people would consider the best-known thing he ever said. It is the conclusion of his speech to the House of Commons on 18th June 1940, as Britain faced the prospect of invasion:

If we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour.

Originally Posted by antiquary

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

I've seen it attributed to Churchill several places, but never found any real proof that he said it myself...

At any rate, a good quote.

some of my favorite 'Churchill' quotes...

“'You are drunk Sir Winston, you are disgustingly drunk. 'Yes, Mrs. Braddock, I am drunk. But you, Mrs. Braddock are ugly, and disgustingly fat. But, tomorrow morning, I, Winston Churchill will be sober.”

“Lady Nancy Astor: Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea.
Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it.”

all Churchill quotes have been merged into one thread

Enjoy