37 Quotes by C.J. Sansom

Whenever a party tells you national identity matters more than anything else in politics, that nationalism can sort out all the other problems, then watch out, because you’re on a road that can end with fascism.

Nicholas said, ‘I hear he’s ordered two million bricks for rebuilding that crumbling old family place of his in Wiltshire – what’s it called, Wolf’s Hole?’ ‘Wolf Hall. All paid for by the public purse, empty though it is.

Dominion is a spy novel, a love story, and also I hope gives some sense of the difficulties faced by dissidents under any totalitarian regime: the threat of imprisonment, torture and death; the threat to one’s family, the terror of being alone in a hostile world.

If I knocked and waited at every door, who knows what I might miss?

You sound as fierce against sin as Harsnet.’ He grinned. ‘Only sins I don’t feel drawn to myself,’ he said with a flash of his old humour. ’ ‘Tis always easy to condemn those.

Man is an angry, savage being. Sometimes faith becomes an excuse for battle. It is no real faith then. In justifying their positions in the name of God, men silence God.

The echoes of childhood torments have great power, even when not brought to mind in such an inexplicable and horrifying way.

But if we never acted except when we were certain our motives were pure, we would never act at all.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.