Churchill is probably my favorite historical figure. I’ve mentioned before that one of my tattoos is “KBO”—that came from him.

Because he was far more eloquent and a much better writer than I can ever hope to be, I’ll let him speak for himself today:

“This is the lesson: never give in, 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. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

“Nothing makes a man more reverent than a library.”

‘Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But there it is.’

“I have even asked myself, when meditating upon these points, whether you, Mr. Speaker, would admit the word ‘lousy’ as a Parliamentary expression in referring to the Administration, provided, of course, it was not intended in a contemptuous sense but purely as one of factual narration.”

“We cannot afford – we have no right – to look back. We must look forward.”

“I could not live without Champagne. In victory I deserve it. In defeat I need it.”

“You do you worst and we will do our best.”

“A gentleman does not have a ham sandwich without mustard.”

“It is better to be both right and consistent. But if you have to choose—you must choose to be right.”