The English Air Quotes

“There were pretty carpets, good china, and an abundance of excellent food; there were magazines and papers and books lying about, and boxes of cigarettes for anyone who wanted them … there was all this, but above all there was peace. Peace, thought Franz, peace and happiness—yes, that was really the keynote of Fernacres.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“If we hate people it does not hurt them at all... it hurts ourselves.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“It is a pity that kindness isn’t more common,” said Frank with a little difficulty. “There is kindness in German hearts, too, but it is hidden from view because kindness has become a crime.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“Our nation is being kept in a state of fear. It is drilled into uniformity. If this goes on much longer it will destroy Germany's soul. A man needs a little piece of personal life . . . some happiness and security .. . without this he becomes an animal, a beast of burden, driven here and there at his masters whim . . . and the masters, Franz!" added Herr Octzen, "The masters, what are they? Small men scrambling for power and preferment and caring little who is trampled underfoot.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“I like you to be happy and carefree, but... but nobody ought to live in a fool's Paradise.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“We would do the same if we had colonies Franz told himself (it was a sore subject of course), but somehow Franz was aware that if a German youth had accomplished anything so spectacular he would enjoy the ensuing "fuss." He would be fated and acclaimed, and would strut about in uniform with his decoration pinned to his breast for all the world to see.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“They left their comfortable homes... and fought..., and, because this was bread in their bone, they wanted no fuss.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“They didn't hate Germany or wish her ill. They were too busy and happy to bother.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“Sometimes I feel the same,” said Dane gravely, “as if it were too much to bear … to go through it all again, only much worse, because now one understands more, and there’s none of the glitter and excitement. Now one sees the futility of the sacrifice.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“Life goes on,” she told him. “Life never stands still. We are blind creatures, Franz, and we do not know where we are going. There are long dark tunnels and then we come out of them suddenly when we are not expecting it, and there is light all round us again. Remember this, Franz, the darkness is only a tunnel after all … Sometimes we hate and suffer, as we did in the war, and then we find that this was a tunnel too, and that the hatred was based on falseness and the suffering arose from mistakes. It is hatred that is the matter with the poor world today. Remember that, Franz. Hatred is deadly and kills all good things. Hatred blinds us to all that is beautiful … and so it is with the Fatherland which was full of so much goodness and beauty. People are being taught to hate. Jesus Christ taught us to love … to love even our enemies. It is for our own sakes we must do this, Franz, because hatred is bad for ourselves. If we hate people it does not hurt them at all … it hurts ourselves.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“He began to realise that it was not Hitler but Hitlerism which must be rooted out before Germany could become whole and sane and able to take her rightful place amongst the great nations of the world. “It seems hopeless,” said Franz at last in a sombre tone.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“Our nation is being kept in a state of fear. It is drilled into uniformity. If this goes on much longer it will destroy Germany’s soul. A man needs a little piece of personal life … some happiness and security … without this he becomes an animal, a beast of burden, driven here and there at his masters’ whim … and the masters, Franz!” added Herr Oetzen, “The masters, what are they? Small men scrambling for power and preferment and caring little who is trampled underfoot.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“It was neither the injustice nor the ill-treatment that changed me, it was a deeper and more important factor, Franz. There were young guards at the camp, boys even younger than yourself, who had been taken from school and trained to be cruel to the prisoners in their charge. That is the most dreadful thing.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“His fellow travellers took him for an Englishman and did not mince their words, and their words were all the more weighty and significant because they were perfectly calm. They did not rant and rave against Germany, they did not hate her, they merely judged her and condemned her as they would have judged and condemned any thief or any murderer of innocent men. They discussed the whole affair sanely and dispassionately in a manner that made his blood run cold.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“They walked on and, as they walked, they discussed the affair in the same disjointed uncomfortable way. “Oh hell!” exclaimed Roy at last. “This has bust up our whole trip—I wish Hitler was dead.” “You can’t wish it more than I do,” replied Frank.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“thought England was ripe for revolution—but then I changed my mind. I saw they were loyal in the big things, I saw that they spoke little of their country and their Empire because their feelings were too deep. They were of one race, they were happy and secure. I couldn’t go on hating you,” continued Frank in a lower tone, “it was impossible to hate people who were so kind at heart. You can’t hate people when you understand them.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“He had said nothing of the sordid side, of the intrigues, and jealousies and promiscuous love affairs which flourished like weeds in the hotbed of Nazi Youth. Franz had enjoyed the Outings until he began to discover what lay beneath the surface, but before he left home he had grown tired of them and faintly disgusted, and on several occasions he had made excuses to remain behind. He had grown a little tired of the Youth Songs, too, and had sometimes wished that they could sing some of the songs which had been loved and prized long before the Youth Songs were invented—the songs that Tant’ Anna sang when she thought that nobody was listening—songs by Schubert and Brahms and Strauss, lovely melodies and words which touched the heart—but Franz had never dared to put this wish into words for his contemporaries would have laughed him to scorn.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“The duet finished there, and a long silence ensued. The sun shone and the birds sang and the tennis players rushed about in strenuous combat. Franz ruminated upon what he had heard and wondered whether this was one of the items of interest which he ought to report to his father … disaffection in the British Navy … but Franz was no fool and he was aware that people on the verge of mutiny did not usually proclaim the fact at the top of their voices, nor did murderers announce their intentions beforehand with such a cheerful air.…”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“There was no opportunity to discuss his plans with Wynne that night, but the following morning he sought her out and issued his invitation. “It will give me great pleasure,” said Franz in a solemn voice, “it will give me great pleasure if you will dine with me tonight. I will telephone and order a nice dinner at the Grand Hotel and afterwards we will go to the Picture House. I see in the newspaper that Norma Shearer is there, and it says the film is very good.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“I missed Elsie dreadfully,” she said, “I missed her all the more because I lost her completely—more completely than if she had died. We had always written to each other and told each other everything but after she was married and went to Germany her letters were quite different—I felt she wasn’t Elsie any more. Otto always called her Elsa—well of course that was a very small thing but I didn’t like it.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air

“I don't always listen to things ... at least I do listen, but, unless the things are going to be useful to mc, I don't keep them.”
― D.E. Stevenson, The English Air