Quotes from Conn Iggulden

Men respect the silent; they despise the garrulous. - Marius

In this age of video games and cell phones, there must still be a place for knots, tree houses, and stories of incredible courage.

Courage cannot be left like bones in a bag. It must be brought out and shown the light again and again, growing stronger each time. If you think it will keep for the times you need it, you are wrong. It is like any other part of your strength. If you ignore it, the bag will be empty when you need it most.

Your brother beat him almost to death, Temujin. He held him and kicked him until he cried like a child. He is afraid of you, so he hates you. It would be wrong to hurt him again. It would be like beating a dog after it has loosed it's bladder. The spirit is already broken in him.

When you're older, you will realise the only thing that matters, the only thing, is that you had courage and honour. Lose those things and you won't die any quicker, but you'll be less than the dirt on our boots. You'll still be dust, but you'll have wasted your short time in the light.

Men respect the silent; they despise the garrulous. - Marius

No worthy goal should come easily, he told himself. Suffering created value.

I am the land, the bones of the hills," he said fiercely, "I am the winter. When I am dead, I will come for you all in the coldest nights.

If a man has gold, he lives with the terror that someone will take it away from him, so he builds walls around it. Then everyone knows where the gold is, so they come and take it. That's the way it always goes, brother. Fools and gold, together.

It's all you can say, when the end comes: 'I did not waste my time.' I think that matters. I think it may be all that matters.

No man could be a khan to his mother.

When I am gone, I do not want men to say Look at his piles of wealth, his cities, his palaces and fine clothes. " Genghis paused for a moment. "Instead I want them to say Make sure he is truly dead. He is a vicious old man and he conquered half the world.

There was no justice in the world, but he had known that ever since the death of his father. The spirits took no part in the lives of men once they had been born. A man either endured what the world sent his way, or was crushed.

Know the enemy and you will know how to kill him.

We are nothing but the oath we give.

We are not here to earn riches with a bow. The wolf does not think of fine things, only that his pack is strong and no other wolf dares to cross his path. That is enough.

He was the khan of Wolves and he feared no man. They would pay dearly for his skin.

We are all fools with our sons. We wipe them and suckle them and all we expect is for them to be grateful to the end of their days.

The wisdom of age is bitter when those you have failed have gone.

There is a price for all things, my son, for all men. I have merely to find his.

Winter is our time. They shut up their cities for the cold months. They put their horses in stables and sit around great fires in enormous houses of stone. If you want a bearskin, do you attack in summer when it is strong and fast, or cut its throat as it sleeps?

What we make can survive us.

Be careful in your life, Tolui. I want you fit and strong for when I come for you.

We are from a line of khans, brother. We rule wherever we are placed.