A Quote by Julian Barnes

History is the lies of the victors.

Julian Barnes

Quote Topics

History Lies Victors

Quote Author

Julian Barnes
English - Writer
Born: January 19, 1946

History is written by the victors--and when there is no victors, it all winds up in the corporate shredders.

Neal Shusterman

History is written by the victors. The victors in daily life tend to be those who live longest.

David Hepworth

What is history? Any thoughts, Webster?' 'History is the lies of the victors,' I replied, a little too quickly. 'Yes, I was rather afraid you'd say that. Well, as long as you remember that it is also the self-delusions of the defeated. ... 'Finn?' '"History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation." (quoting Patrick Lagrange)

Julian Barnes

History is almost always written by the victors and conquerors and gives their view. Or, at any rate, the victors' version is given prominence and holds the field.

Jawaharlal Nehru

History isn't the lies of the victors, as I once glibly assured Old Joe Hunt; I know that now. It's more the memories of the survivors, most of whom are neither victorious or defeated.

Julian Barnes

The so-called lessons of history are for the most part the rationalizations of the victors. History is written by the survivors.

Max Lerner

The basic principle is that the losers have to confess, not the victors. When they do it, it's a crime. When we do it, it's not. And more generally, it's the defeated who are tried, not the victors.