Accepted Quote by Winston Churchill
“I devoured Gibbon. I rode triumphantly through it from end to end and enjoyed it all. I scribbled all my opinions on the margins of the pages ... From Gibbon I went to Macauley. I had learnt The Lays of Ancient Rome by heart, and loved them; and of course I knew he had written a history; but I had never read a page of it ... I accepted all Macauley wrote as gospel, and I was grieved to read his harsh judgements upon the Great Duke of Marlborough.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: House of Commons, 1915, United Kingdom
Churchill praises reading history, noting his own critical engagement with sources and the importance of personal judgment.
In simple terms: Reading history fuels personal insight and critique.
Read critically, form your own view.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic study
- personal essays
- historical debates
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does one balance respect for sources with personal critique?
- What role does marginalia play in learning?
Personal bias can color interpretation.