Hart's War Quotes

“He could sense a fierce tautness in the cheap air of the tunnel, almost like entering a medical ward where disease lingers in the corners and no one has ever opened a window to bring in fresh air.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“Sometimes men are too clever. I do not think clever men are always so well liked as they maybe believe. Also, in war, to be so clever, this is not a good thing, I also think."

"Why is that, Fritz?"

The ferret was speaking softly, his head still bent.

"Because war, it is filled with mistakes. So often the wrong die, is this not true, Lieutenant Hart? The good man dies, the bad man lives. The innocent are killed. Not the guilty. Little children die like my two little cousins, but not generals." Fritz Number One had deposited an unmistakable harshness in the soft words he spoke. "There are so many mistakes, sometimes I wonder if God is really watching. It is not possible, I think, to outwit war's mistakes, no matter how clever you may be.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“It was darker than any night he'd known and he was terribly alone. Sand rivulets leaked onto his head. Dust clogged his nostrils. It seemed that there was no air left inside the narrow tunnel confines. The only sound he could make out was the creak of support boards seemingly ready to give way. He pulled himself along, using a swimming motion, thrusting aside dirt that clogged his route, fighting every centimeter of the way. He held out no real hope of being able to crawl the entire seventy-five yards.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“The German tried to struggle up, but Tommy's legs wrapped around him, so they fought almost as close as lovers, but with murder their only kiss”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“Dodging across the alley, covered by the blackness, the three men maneuvered to the front of the next hut. The air was still, soundless. It was so quiet that Tommy thought that every infinitesimal noise they made was magnified, trumpet like, a klaxon noise of alarm. To move silently in a world absent all external noises is very difficult. There were no nearby city sounds of cars and buses or even the deep whomp-whomp-whomp of a distant bombing raid. Not even the joking voices of the goons in the towers or a bark from a Hundführer's dog creased the night to distract or help conceal every footstep they made. For a moment, he wished the British would break into some rowdy song over in the northern compound. Anything to cover over the top of the modest noises they made.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“As they marched across the yard, at one point the black flier glanced over toward the two white men and grinned as he said, "Don't look so glum, Tommy, Hugh. I've been looking forward to this day since I was first accused of this crime. Usually lynchings don't work this way for black folks. Usually we don't get the chance to stand up in front of everyone and tell them how goddamn wrong they are”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“As they crossed the assembly yard, all three men suddenly heard the start up of construction noise, coming from the nearby thick forest, on the far side of the wire. A distant whistle, some shouts, and the rat-a-tat of hammers and the ripping sound of handsaws. "They start those poor bastards early, don't they?" Scott asked rhetorically. "And then they work them late. Makes you glad you weren't born a Russian," he said. Then he smiled wryly. "You know, there's probably a joke in that some- where. Do you suppose right now one of those poor s.o.b.'s is saying he's glad he wasn't born black in America? After all, the damn Germans are just working them to death. Me? I've got to worry about my own country- men shooting me.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“Hugh Renaday also stood nearby. But the Canadian had his head turned skyward, his gaze sweeping the wide blue horizon. After a moment, he spoke softly. "On a day like this, visibility unlimited, you know, if you just look up for a long enough time, you can almost forget where you are."

Both Tommy's and Lincoln Scott's eyes turned up, following the Canadian's. After a second's silence, Scott laughed out loud. "Damn it, I think you're almost right." He paused, then added, "It's almost like for just a couple of heartbeats you can kid yourself that you're free again."

"It would be nice," Tommy said. "Even the illusion of freedom."

"It would be nice," Scott repeated softly. "It's one of those rare things in life where the lie is far more encouraging than the truth.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“He glanced down at his wrist-watch, felt a pang of loneliness crease across his heart. For a single second, he wondered what time it was back home in Vermont, and he had trouble remembering whether it was earlier or later. Then he dismissed this unfair thought when he realized that if he did not hurry, he would be late for the beginning of that morning's proceedings.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“A prisoner of war is supposed to be in uniform, and he's supposed to provide his name, rank, and serial number, when demanded. A man in a suit of clothes carrying phony identity cards and forged work permits? That man could easily be taken for a spy. When do you stop being the one and start being the other?”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“He shuddered at the idea of digging beneath the surface. It would be stifling, hot, filthy, and dangerous. The ferrets also occasionally commandeered a heavy truck, loaded it with men and material, and drove it, bouncing along, around the outside perimeter of the camp. They believed the weight would cause any underground tunnel to collapse. Once, more than a year earlier, they'd been right. He remembered the fury on Colonel MacNamara's face when the long days and nights of hard work were so summarily crushed.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“I think it is a medically proven fact that the older one gets, the more quick one is two spots conspiracies. Skulduggery. Cloak and dagger stuff.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“We may be locked up behind barbed wire here in Stalag Luft Thirteen, but human nature doesn't change. That's the problem with education, you know. Shouldn't take the boy off the farm. It opens his eyes and what he sees isn't always what he might want to see. Like blacks and whites. And what happens. What always happens. Because there isn't any piece of evidence in this entire world strong enough to overcome the evidence of hatred and prejudice.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“The Germans did not like to use the searchlights, especially on nights when there were British bombing raids on nearby installations. Even the most uneducated German soldier could guess that from the air the sight of probing searchlights would make the camp appear to be an ammunition dump or a manufacturing plant, and some hard-pressed Lancaster pilot, having fought off frightening raids by Luftwaffe night fighters, might make an error and drop his stick of bombs right on top of them.

So the searchlight use was erratic, which only made them more terrifying to anyone who wanted to maneuver from one hut to another at night. It was difficult to time their sweeps because they were so haphazard.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War

“Your Honor,” he said with a small smile, “the defense in this matter will reserve the right to make its opening statement until the completion of the prosecution’s case.” MacNamara stared at Tommy. “That is unusual,” he said. “I’m not sure—” “We have the absolute right, under military law, to postpone our opening,” Tommy said swiftly, not having any idea at all whether he was right or wrong. “We are under no obligation to display our defense to the prosecution until such time that it becomes our turn to present it.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War: A Novel of Suspense

“Tommy was persuaded that the murder charge was buttressed by that antagonism, which, from the prosecution’s viewpoint, was probably ninety percent of their case. The bloodstains, being absent from the bunk room on the night of the murder, the discovery of the knife—all these things when taken together painted a compelling portrait. It was only upon examining each separately that the supposition unraveled somewhat.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War: A Novel of Suspense

“Belief is an odd thing for a defense counsel, Tommy. It is not necessary to believe in your client to defend him. Some would say that it is easier to not truly have an opinion, that the maneuverings of the law are only clouded by the emotions of trust and honesty. But”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War: A Novel of Suspense

“He recalled what Phillip Pryce had said about hatred forming the undercurrent to the legal proceedings, and thought there had to be a way to turn that rage around. He thought the best lawyer finds a way to harness whatever external force is directed at his client and take advantage of it.”
― John Katzenbach, Hart's War: A Novel of Suspense