I am never going to have anything more to do with politics or politicians. When this war is over I shall confine myself entirely to writing and painting.
~ Winston Churchill
In war as in life, it is often necessary when some cherished scheme has failed, to take up the best alternative open, and if so, it is folly not to work for it with all your might.
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.
Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.
Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it.
This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.
Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer.
Too often the strong, silent man is silent only because he does not know what to say, and is reputed strong only because he has remained silent.
I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.
We shape our buildings thereafter they shape us.
It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.
It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.
I am easily satisfied with the very best.
The short words are best, and the old words are the best of all.
Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.
For my part, I consider that it will be found much better by all parties to leave the past to history, especially as I propose to write that history myself.
The power of an air force is terrific when there is nothing to oppose it.
It is more agreeable to have the power to give than to receive.
The power of man has grown in every sphere, except over himself.
Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on.
We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.
Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
No crime is so great as daring to excel.
Never give in - never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.
I always seem to get inspiration and renewed vitality by contact with this great novel land of yours which sticks up out of the Atlantic.
I was only the servant of my country and had I, at any moment, failed to express her unflinching resolve to fight and conquer, I should at once have been rightly cast aside.
My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.
Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.
In war, you can only be killed once, but in politics, many times.
Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen.
Politics is almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous. In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times.
Never, never, never give up.
It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.
When I am abroad, I always make it a rule never to criticize or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home.
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future.
