There are times when the utmost daring is the height of wisdom.

The difficulty of accurate recognition constitutes one of the most serious sources of friction in war, by making things appear entirely different from what one had expected.

Knowing is different from doing and therefore theory must never be used as norms for a standard, but merely as aids to judgment.

In War, the young soldier is very apt to regard unusual fatigues as the consquence of faults, mistakes, and embarrassment in the conduct of the whole, and to become distressed and depondent as a consequence. This would not happen if he had been prepared for this beforehand by exercises in peace.

All war presupposes human weakness and seeks to exploit it.

War therefore is an act of violence to compel our opponent to fulfill our will.

A prince or general can best demonstrate his genius by managing a campaign exactly to suit his objectives and his resources, doing neither too much nor too little.