The Cardinal of the Kremlin

So few people were left who knew what combat was like. People were so easy to frighten. Combat taught a man what to fear – and what to ignore.

One presidential advisor to another: "If the world made sense, we'd all have to find honest work.

All field agents have some cowboy in them – even the ones from New York.

The assistant commander at any post is supposed to be a ruthless son of a bitch.

Clancy comments that the subtleties of national character can impact the world stage by making espionage more difficult. Americans were quirky by nature, making the sorts of eccentric moves that had to be followed up on as potential espionage cues. Russians, on the other hand, were too orderly by nature to make such distractions appear natural.

people who feel themselves inferior have a pathological desire to disprove their own perceptions.

Anyone can deceive us .... for a time. [KGB]

Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make proud,

Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make proud, Foley thought.

Comrade, you can deceive us. Anyone can―for a time. But not a very long time.

The Americans are always investigating one another, it was their national sport.