Stephen Ambrose Quotes

"Washington, not Jefferson, freed his slaves upon his death."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Death, Washington)

"You don't hate history, you hate the way it was taught to you in high school."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: History, Hate, School)

"Writing is not the easiest way to make a living. Your work long hours, usually all by yourself. It is not a way to make money."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Money, Work, Living, Writing)

"World War II, the atomic bomb, the Cold War, made it hard for Americans to continue their optimism."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: War, Optimism, Americans, World, World war)

"Winning the Revolutionary War, or the Civil War, or World War II were the turning points in our history, the sine qua non of our forward progress."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: War, History, Progress, Winning, World, World war)

"Who today is willing to say that Texas and California and the remainder of the Southwest would be better off if they were governed by Mexico?"
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Today)

"We are part of a country that outshines those that have gone before us and most of those in existence today."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Country, Existence, Today)

"Washington's character was rock solid. He came to stand for the new nation and its republican virtues, which was why he became our first President by unanimous choice."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Character, Choice, First, Nation, President, Republican, Washington)

"American corporations hate to give away money."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Money, American, Corporations, Hate)

"Washington and Jefferson were both rich Virginia planters, but they were never friends."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Friends, Washington)

"Almost everything Truman did in foreign affairs I approve of."
- Stephen Ambrose

"American is the first democratic nation-state."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: American, First, Nation)

"Andrew Johnson was a Southerner generally who proclaimed that his native state of Tennessee was a country for white men."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Men, Country, State)

"As to the Indians, the guiding principle was, promise them anything just so long as they get out of the way."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Promise)

"The war in Vietnam I thought a dreadful mistake."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: War, Thought, Mistake, Vietnam)

"There are many more want-to-be writers out there than good editors."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Editors, Want, Writers)

"Trial by jury. Live wherever you can make a living. How could a government based on such principles fail?"
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Government, Jury, Living, Principles)

"The number one secret of being a successful writer is this: marry an English major."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Successful, Being, English, Writer)

"Jefferson owned slaves. He did not believe that all were created equal. He was a racist."
- Stephen Ambrose

"Johnson had been the most powerful man in the world, yet the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong had resisted, overcome his power, broken his will."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Power, Man, Will, World)

"Like their predecessors, the Presidents of today just throw up their hands."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Today)

"My favorite book is the last one printed, which is always better than those that were published earlier."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Favorite)

"My first book was the book that changed my life."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Life, First)

"Neither Johnson nor his party nor the government as a whole were willing to raise, train, equip, and then send Vietnam sufficient manpower to do the job."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Government, Job, Party, Vietnam)

"Nixon regarded himself as having been cheated by life. He never got my vote."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Life, Nixon, Vote)

"Reading your own material aloud forces you to listen."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Reading)

"The American Constitution is the greatest governing document, and at some 7,000 words, just about the shortest."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: American, Constitution, Words)

"The more sophisticated we get, the more advanced our buildings and vehicles become, the more vulnerable we are."
- Stephen Ambrose

"The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Faith, Love, Knowledge, Hope, Future, Past)

"It would not be possible to praises nurses too highly."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Nurses)

"The Canadians have managed to live peacefully with their Indians. It is disgrace that the United States has not done the same."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Disgrace, states, United)

"The great wars of the 20th Century made it into the worst Century ever."
- Stephen Ambrose

"Eisenhower had the clearest blue eyes. He would fix them on you. In my every interview with him, he would lock his eyes on to mine and keep them there."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Eyes)

"The Holocaust was the most evil crime ever committed."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Crime, Evil)

"It does you no good to see the number two or number three man in the corporation-you have to get through to number one."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Man)

"Dams have harmed our wildlife and made rivers less useful for recreation."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Recreation, Rivers, Wildlife)

"Eisenhower is my choice as the American of the 20th Century. Of all the men I've studied and written about, he is the brightest and the best."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Men, American, Choice)

"Crazy Horse saw history as integrated in the present, incorporated into daily life."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: History, Life, Present)

"Even before Watergate and his resignation, Nixon had inspired conflicting and passionate emotions."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Emotions, Nixon, Resignation)

"History is everything that has ever happened."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: History)

"I was taught by professors who had done their schooling in the 1930s. Most of them were scornful of, even hated, big business."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Business)

"I was too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Old, Vietnam)

"I'm no politician. I'm an historian who has learned through a lifetime of studying that nothing in the world beats universal education."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Education, Nothing, World)

"I've always tried to be fair to my subjects. That's easy when they are as likable and admirable as Lewis and Clark, or Eisenhower."
- Stephen Ambrose

"In America, Jefferson noted with approval, women knew their place."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Women, America, Approval)

"In 1945, there were more people killed, more buildings destroyed, more high explosives set off, more fires burning than before or since."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: People)

"Immigrants do more than help us win our wars, or set up cleaning shops or ethnic restaurants."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Help, Restaurants, Shops)

"I thought Nixon was the worst President we had ever had, save only perhaps Andrew Johnson."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Thought, Nixon, President)

"Custer had dead heroes. Crazy Horse had only live ones."
- Stephen Ambrose
(Related: Heroes)