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Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence QUOTES

Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence QUOTES

1 " Gates should have exceeded Washington as a military leader. He had long experience in a professional army and was more loved by his men. But Washington's character was superior to that of his rival, and it made him a great man, whereas Gates was merely a good soldier. "

― John Ferling , Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence

2 " There are always those who wish to sanitize war by portraying its grand and noble deeds-which sometimes occur-while drawing a veil over its shameless side. By its nature, war is harsh, brutal, and pitiless, and while it can call out the best in humankind, it can also awaken the darkest side of human nature, arousing in many participants a coldhearted callousness. For most, danger begets fear. For some, fear sires ferocity, and ferocity spawns a ruthlessness that subsumes compassion. For still other men, more than is gratifying to acknowledge, soldiering is a license to unleash iniquitous qualities that they struggled to suppress in peacetime. "

― John Ferling , Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence

3 " Washington was unmistakably tenacious and courageous, and an iron-hard ruggedness shined through the patina of genteel cultivation that he had gradually acquired. It set him apart from most other men. He had soldiered for five years, often facing supreme danger. Much was known about his brave exploits. His euphoric remark, uttered during the French and Indian War, about having “heard… Bullets whistle and believe me there was something charming in the sound,” had gotten into the newspapers and was remembered. "

― John Ferling , Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence

4 " and a campfire for illumination. Usually a slow writer—he "

― John Ferling , Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence