“He started every entry with I got up. It meant, I hate this school. When he wrote I do not like porridge, that was actually true, but porridge was his code-word for Simon Silverson. Simon was porridge at breakfast, potatoes at lunch, and bread at tea. All the other other he hated had code-words too. Dan Smith was cornflakes, cabbage, and butter. Theresa was milk.”
―
Diana Wynne Jones,
Witch Week
“He wasn't an especially charismatic or commanding individual, but what he lacked in personality he emphatically made up for in diligence.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“There is a dark side to religious devotion that is too often ignored or denied. As a means of motivating people to be cruel or inhumane -- as a means of inciting evil, to borrow the vocabulary of the devout -- there may be no more potent force than religion. When the subject of religiously inspired bloodshed comes up, many Americans immediately think of Islamic fundamentalism, which is to be expected in the wake of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. But men have been committing heinous acts in the name of God ever since mankind began believing in deities, and extremists exist within all religions. Muhammad is not the only prophet whose words have been used to sanction barbarism; history has not lacked for Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and even Buddhists who have been motivated by scripture to butcher innocents. Plenty of these religious extremists have been homegrown, corn-fed Americans.Faith-based violence was present long before Osama bin Laden, and it ill be with us long after his demise. Religious zealots like bin Laden, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Shoko Asahara, and Dan Lafferty are common to every age, just as zealots of other stripes are. In any human endeavor, some fraction of its practitioners will be motivated to pursue that activity with such concentrated focus and unalloyed passion that it will consume them utterly. One has to look no further than individuals who feel compelled to devote their lives to becoming concert pianists, say, or climbing Mount Everest. For some, the province of the extreme holds an allure that's irresistible. And a certain percentage of such fanatics will inevitably fixate on the matters of the spirit. The zealot may be outwardly motivated by the anticipation of a great reward at the other end -- wealth, fame, eternal salvation -- but the real recompense is probably the obsession itself. This is no less true for the religious fanatic than for the fanatical pianist or fanatical mountain climber. As a result of his (or her) infatuation, existence overflows with purpose. Ambiguity vanishes from the fanatic's worldview; a narcissistic sense of self-assurance displaces all doubt. A delicious rage quickens his pulse, fueled by the sins and shortcomings of lesser mortals, who are soiling the world wherever he looks. His perspective narrows until the last remnants of proportion are shed from his life. Through immoderation, he experiences something akin to rapture. Although the far territory of the extreme can exert an intoxicating pull on susceptible individuals of all bents, extremism seems to be especially prevalent among those inclined by temperament or upbringing toward religious pursuits. Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a crucial component of spiritual devotion. And when religious fanaticism supplants ratiocination, all bets are suddenly off. Anything can happen. Absolutely anything. Common sense is no match for the voice of God...” ― Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
“If the cycle of violence that had engulfed the English Crown for nearly five decades seemed finally to be coming to an end, it was only because there were so few candidates left to kill.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“(During his trial he claimed that his pet cat had become possessed by the devil and incited him to his crimes. The cat was also hanged.)” ― Dan Jones, The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England
“What did you do?" said Charles."You know that night all our shoes went into the hall," said Nirupam. "Well, we had a feast that night. Dan Smith made me get up the floorboards and get the food out. He says I have no right to be so large and so weak," Nirupam said resentfully, "and I was hating him for it, when I took the boards up and found a pair of running shoes, with spikes, hidden there with the food. I turned those shoes into a chocolate cake. I knew Dan was so greedy that he would eat it all himself. And he did eat it. He didn't let anyone else have any. You may have noticed that he wasn't quite himself the next day."So much had happened to Charles that particular day, that he could not remember Dan seeming anything at all. He didn't have the heart to explain all the trouble Nirupam had caused him. "Those were my spikes," he said sadly. He wobbled along on the mop rather awed at the thought of iron spikes passing through Dan's stomach. "He must have a digestion like an ostrich!""The spikes were turned into cherries," said Nirupam. "The soles were the cream. The shoes as a whole became what is called a Black Forest gateau.” ― Diana Wynne Jones, Witch Week
“Here was a king who saw his subjects as peers and allies around whom he had growing up rather than semi-alien entities to be suspected and persecuted.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“In the case of Exeter, York’s superior blood status was explicitly recognized in the first duke of Exeter’s articles of ennoblement. The first duke died in 1447, but his heir, the young Henry Holland, was even more closely tied to York’s family: he was married to York’s daughter Anne, and had been in York’s custody when he was a minor. As recently as 1448 York and the duke of Somerset had been granted lands in joint trusteeship—a sign that there was no division (yet) perceived between those two men.7 Humphrey,” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Then a far more grotesque and insulting marriage was arranged between the twenty-year-old John Woodville and Katherine Neville, Warwick’s aunt and the dowager duchess of Norfolk. Katherine was not only a four-time widow but also about sixty-five years old.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“He was more than comfortable with the language of imperious persuasion.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“the” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“The Holland family traced their own royal ancestry through Henry IV’s sister Elizabeth. In January 1444 the most senior Holland, John, earl of Huntingdon, was promoted to duke of Exeter, with precedence over all other dukes except for York—another elevation specifically credited to his closeness in blood to the king. John Holland died in August 1447, and his son Henry Holland eventually succeeded to his duchy.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Believing that Edward’s men were at a safe distance in Worcester, Simon’s men were unprepared for attack. They did not realize that Edward and Gloucester had spies among them, including a female transvestite called Margoth” ― Dan Jones, The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England
“Pope Pius II, watching England from afar, would later describe Henry in this phase of his life as “a man more timorous than a woman, utterly devoid of wit or spirit, who left everything in his wife’s hands.”2” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Memutuskan minum cappuccino dan makan croissant cokelat dalam perjalanan ke kantor untuk menghibur diri. Aku tak peduli bentuk tubuhku. Tak ada gunanya, toh tak ada yang mencintaiku atau peduli padaku.Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding, hlm.77” ― Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary
“As with many tragedies, our story opens in a moment of triumph.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Extravagance was a political necessity.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Rebels depend on willful gullibility.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“[T]hose who are afraid can stay at home.” ― Dan Jones, The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England
“He wasn't an especially charismatic or commanding individual, but what he lacked in personality he emphatically made up for in diligence.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“There is a dark side to religious devotion that is too often ignored or denied. As a means of motivating people to be cruel or inhumane -- as a means of inciting evil, to borrow the vocabulary of the devout -- there may be no more potent force than religion. When the subject of religiously inspired bloodshed comes up, many Americans immediately think of Islamic fundamentalism, which is to be expected in the wake of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. But men have been committing heinous acts in the name of God ever since mankind began believing in deities, and extremists exist within all religions. Muhammad is not the only prophet whose words have been used to sanction barbarism; history has not lacked for Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and even Buddhists who have been motivated by scripture to butcher innocents. Plenty of these religious extremists have been homegrown, corn-fed Americans.Faith-based violence was present long before Osama bin Laden, and it ill be with us long after his demise. Religious zealots like bin Laden, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Shoko Asahara, and Dan Lafferty are common to every age, just as zealots of other stripes are. In any human endeavor, some fraction of its practitioners will be motivated to pursue that activity with such concentrated focus and unalloyed passion that it will consume them utterly. One has to look no further than individuals who feel compelled to devote their lives to becoming concert pianists, say, or climbing Mount Everest. For some, the province of the extreme holds an allure that's irresistible. And a certain percentage of such fanatics will inevitably fixate on the matters of the spirit. The zealot may be outwardly motivated by the anticipation of a great reward at the other end -- wealth, fame, eternal salvation -- but the real recompense is probably the obsession itself. This is no less true for the religious fanatic than for the fanatical pianist or fanatical mountain climber. As a result of his (or her) infatuation, existence overflows with purpose. Ambiguity vanishes from the fanatic's worldview; a narcissistic sense of self-assurance displaces all doubt. A delicious rage quickens his pulse, fueled by the sins and shortcomings of lesser mortals, who are soiling the world wherever he looks. His perspective narrows until the last remnants of proportion are shed from his life. Through immoderation, he experiences something akin to rapture. Although the far territory of the extreme can exert an intoxicating pull on susceptible individuals of all bents, extremism seems to be especially prevalent among those inclined by temperament or upbringing toward religious pursuits. Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a crucial component of spiritual devotion. And when religious fanaticism supplants ratiocination, all bets are suddenly off. Anything can happen. Absolutely anything. Common sense is no match for the voice of God...” ― Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
“If the cycle of violence that had engulfed the English Crown for nearly five decades seemed finally to be coming to an end, it was only because there were so few candidates left to kill.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“(During his trial he claimed that his pet cat had become possessed by the devil and incited him to his crimes. The cat was also hanged.)” ― Dan Jones, The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England
“What did you do?" said Charles."You know that night all our shoes went into the hall," said Nirupam. "Well, we had a feast that night. Dan Smith made me get up the floorboards and get the food out. He says I have no right to be so large and so weak," Nirupam said resentfully, "and I was hating him for it, when I took the boards up and found a pair of running shoes, with spikes, hidden there with the food. I turned those shoes into a chocolate cake. I knew Dan was so greedy that he would eat it all himself. And he did eat it. He didn't let anyone else have any. You may have noticed that he wasn't quite himself the next day."So much had happened to Charles that particular day, that he could not remember Dan seeming anything at all. He didn't have the heart to explain all the trouble Nirupam had caused him. "Those were my spikes," he said sadly. He wobbled along on the mop rather awed at the thought of iron spikes passing through Dan's stomach. "He must have a digestion like an ostrich!""The spikes were turned into cherries," said Nirupam. "The soles were the cream. The shoes as a whole became what is called a Black Forest gateau.” ― Diana Wynne Jones, Witch Week
“Here was a king who saw his subjects as peers and allies around whom he had growing up rather than semi-alien entities to be suspected and persecuted.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“In the case of Exeter, York’s superior blood status was explicitly recognized in the first duke of Exeter’s articles of ennoblement. The first duke died in 1447, but his heir, the young Henry Holland, was even more closely tied to York’s family: he was married to York’s daughter Anne, and had been in York’s custody when he was a minor. As recently as 1448 York and the duke of Somerset had been granted lands in joint trusteeship—a sign that there was no division (yet) perceived between those two men.7 Humphrey,” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Then a far more grotesque and insulting marriage was arranged between the twenty-year-old John Woodville and Katherine Neville, Warwick’s aunt and the dowager duchess of Norfolk. Katherine was not only a four-time widow but also about sixty-five years old.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“He was more than comfortable with the language of imperious persuasion.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“the” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“The Holland family traced their own royal ancestry through Henry IV’s sister Elizabeth. In January 1444 the most senior Holland, John, earl of Huntingdon, was promoted to duke of Exeter, with precedence over all other dukes except for York—another elevation specifically credited to his closeness in blood to the king. John Holland died in August 1447, and his son Henry Holland eventually succeeded to his duchy.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Believing that Edward’s men were at a safe distance in Worcester, Simon’s men were unprepared for attack. They did not realize that Edward and Gloucester had spies among them, including a female transvestite called Margoth” ― Dan Jones, The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England
“Pope Pius II, watching England from afar, would later describe Henry in this phase of his life as “a man more timorous than a woman, utterly devoid of wit or spirit, who left everything in his wife’s hands.”2” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Memutuskan minum cappuccino dan makan croissant cokelat dalam perjalanan ke kantor untuk menghibur diri. Aku tak peduli bentuk tubuhku. Tak ada gunanya, toh tak ada yang mencintaiku atau peduli padaku.Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding, hlm.77” ― Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary
“As with many tragedies, our story opens in a moment of triumph.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Extravagance was a political necessity.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“Rebels depend on willful gullibility.” ― Dan Jones, The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
“[T]hose who are afraid can stay at home.” ― Dan Jones, The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England
