“The USA and the Soviet Union each had the ability to annihilate the other. Therefore- in theory at least-neither of these growling superpowers would dare attack the other, because to do so would result in its own immolation.” — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
History is the heavy traffic that prevents us from crossing the road. We're not especially interested in what it consists of. We wait, more… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“You do not win a war by dying for your country. You win a war by making sure that some poor bastard dies for… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“This line of reasoning could have frightened him, but it did not. He gained a certain strength from it. Because, after all, what can… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“Unfortunately, however, weapons of mass destruction tend to attract maniacs: men - it's almost always men - who want to jab the red button… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“Boredom had not been among the dangers that the SOE had prepared him for. No pompous little officer had stood in front of his… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“Wagstaff was a trim little man in a dark-blue uniform with an armband embroidered with the words CIVIL DEFENSE. "Thank you, Headmaster, and good… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“Let me tell you something. When there is a penalty kick, most people think that the penalty taker is in control. But they are… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“Sprawled, bloody, holding the pistol, he looked like a police photograph of a suicide. Dart went back to his chair and picked up the… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“I can explain to you why algebra is useful. But that is not what algebra is really for.' He moved his fingers gently on… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“It still, after all these years, puts frost into my blood to remember that men like LeMay and Powers had their fingers so close… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
Sentimentality and nostalgia are closely related. Kissing cousins. I have no time for nostalgia, though. Nostalgics believe the past is nicer than the present.… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“Kennedy was not perfectly sure that Khrushchev was an entirely rational being. He was not absolutely certain that the Soviet Union wouldn't be happy… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
“What I'm trying to explain to my sulky little cousin is that we are doing things backwards. We are going from the end of… — Mal Peet Copy Share Image
