Quotes from Jeff Shaara

And so, pointing fingers become pointing guns, because nobody listens to fingers.

Wars are indeed fought by children, by young people who have little to say in where they are sent to die.

Major, I do not know why God does the things He does, but I believe you have the same duty to God as you have always had: to follow the right path, to live your life with a clear conscience.

Quick words did not always mean a quick mind.

world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion Ã¢â'¬Â¦

Not even generals can stop the rain.

It's so rarely about military genius, who the greater tactician might be, who sat higher in his class at West Point. It's about mistakes, some of them unavoidable, some of them purely stupid. My job is to make fewer mistakes than the enemy

The heavy round face was looking at him, the hard look of a man who had also understood, who had seen all the stupidity, who knew, after all, that the gold stars were often mindless decoration, that the army was led not by symbols, but by the fallible egos and blind fantasies of men.

Men with power either trumpet to everyone just how powerful they are, or they use that power effectively by keeping quiet about it, and going about their duties.

Sorry, ma'am, but we need a big damn army right now, and there's no better way to make one than to gather up a bunch of boys and tell them how much fun they're going to have killing their enemy.

To his left he saw the other regiments, men from New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan. Men like these, he thought, just farmers and shopkeepers, and now we are soldiers, and now we are about to die.

I confess, without shame, that I am sick and tired of fighting—its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands and fathers….Tis only those who have never heard a shot, never heard the shriek and groans of the wounded or lacerated…that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation.

Anger is simply momentary madness, and sometimes there is strength in silence. After all, he is only throwing words, not stones.

Colonel, General Sheridan will be big enough for all of us before this is through.

a dangerous thing for any state to maintain its power by plugging up the vent of complaints, stifling the voices of the people. When complaining becomes a crime, hope becomes despair. He finished

As the months passed, even the strident voices from the newspapers had begun to moderate, and the passion to put Preston's neck in a noose had become subdued. It was a relief to Adams that with the trial now scheduled for October, he had time to work with Josiah Quincy to prepare a case based on law and reason. And it meant he could spend time with his family and enjoy the wonderful peace of the farm.

If you are not affected, if you are not hurt by what we do, then you will not do anything to stop it. The war will simply continue. As long as it is just the soldiers

My God, John. The king has begun to shoot his subjects.

care about right now is how long this is

Hickenlooper's guns had range on him.

My job is to Ã¢â'¬Â¦ do my job. Lead, for God's sake. Keep my nose out of places where the machine is working, and stick it in deep where it isn't.

Meade looked at Grant, and Grant turned, moved toward his tent, said quietly, "General, a moment, if you please Ã¢â'¬Â¦

I'm not concerned about General Burnside right now. I'm much more concerned with how far Lee will let us go before he does something.

I spend half my time in Montana, the other half in New York City. In unique ways, both places help me unwind, and both are the most satisfying places to live I can imagine.