"Few are wholly dead: Blow on a dead man's embers And a live flame will start." R. Graves 'To Bring the Dead to Life' Collected Poems 1961

"I was confident that we were reasonably well prepared. There is enormous residual self-confidence in a parachute battalion. People don't wonder whether they can do things". Lt.Col Hew Pike, 1982, commanding 3 Para during the Falklands War.

"My rule is: if you meet the weakest vessel, attack; if it is a vessel equal to yours, attack; and if it is stronger than yours, also attack..."

You're all right as long as you're winners; I'm a hell of a general when Im winning, anybody is, but it's when you're not winning - and I have not always been winning - if you had been a British General at the start of the war you'd know that - it is then that... Continue Reading →

"The total vessels lost by both navies had been about the same, but we could replace ours; the Japanese could not. Our other losses were of a different character; leaders like Admirals Scott and Callaghan are not easy to replace. Their deaths remind us that admirals till die on the bridges of their flagships while... Continue Reading →

"Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the changes in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after they occur".

"In war it is often less important what one does than how one does it. Strong determination and perseverance in carrying through a simple idea are the surest routes to ones objective".

"Action in war is not continuous but spasmodic. Violent clashes are interrupted by periods of observation, during which both sides are on the defensive. But usually one side is more strongly motivated, which tends to affect its behaviour: the offensive element will dominate, and usually maintain its continuity of action." Clausewitz, On War. 1832

“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight—it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”- President Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” G. K. Chesterton

“Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself and let your troops see that you don’t in your endurance of fatigue and privation. Always be tactful and well-mannered. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to... Continue Reading →