Quotes from Jan Guillou

we must wield carefully with our thoughts and words.

mutuality, brother. You scratch my back, and I will scratch yours.

In war, information is a half victory or defeat.

That what you see is not always what it looks like i don't judge anyone by his robes.

Do you happen to remember me, young man?' asked the archbishop kindly, surprisingly speaking in French instead of Latin. 'No, Monseigneur, I cannot honestly say that I do,' replied Arn with embarrassment, looking at the ground.

If the head can keep the thought in the moment of death, just for a brief time, than the head, which just felt on the ground, was a surprised head.

The excitement is often grand, as is the reason least, in the beginning of the attack.

a man must meet his enemies, doesn't he? And what kind of enemy must he meet foremost if not the inconvenient of them all?

Actually I had just intended to retaliate, because when we met the first time you chided me for not speaking very good Norse. Well, that jest fell flat, since your French is excellent.

If I have any excuse to offer, it is that in here we do not view our neighbours as they do out there.

Now Arn remembered and said that this was indeed a vivid memory, but it was also an event that was considerably better to remember than it was at the time.

Nová technika stvo?í nového, rovnoprávn?jšího ?lov?ka. Hovo?í pro to veškerý rozum. P?esto je znepokojivé, že se uprost?ed dob?e organizované moderní spole?nosti mohlo zrodit tolik primitivního zla.

a man must meet his enemies, doesn't he? And what kind of enemy must he meet foremost if not the the most inconvenient of them all?

The road to Jerusalem at the beginning is winding, my dear, dear Arn.

It took a great deal of force and time to deal with these barricades, and victory was elusive.

Because what he couldn't know, what no one at that time could know, was what would happen after the death of old King Sverker.

sorrow and joy always walk hand to hand, like sisters. Where is light, there is also shadow, and where the happiness is the greatest, there always lingers a trail of misfortune.

Everything is permitted in a fight with the devil.

Then the parents might be released from their promise. But in that case, the monks at the same time would be placing themselves, knowingly and willingly, above the clearly manifested will of God.

According to Brother Lucien, such ill-considered conduct could easily cause an illness to go from bad to worse.

Arn at once agreed that this must be abominable in God's eyes, and he added that everything must be done to right this wrong.

If all our foes were like Al Ghouti, we would never win,' he said thoughtfully. 'On the other hand, if all our foes were like him, victory would no longer be necessary.

Kristina merely laughed at these foolish ideas; it was like letting the cattle out onto a green pasture to milk, slaughter, and finally roast themselves.