Tony Perrottet > Quotes

“Whenever anyone tells me that history's boring, I bring up Napoleon's penis.”
― Tony Perrottet

“Whenever someone implies that history is boring, I bring up Napoleon's penis.”
― Tony Perrottet, Napoleon's Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped

“It was an excellent place to be if you wanted to hear crowds of wretched philosophers heaping abuse on one another—an endless number of historians reading out their imbecilic writings—innumerable poets reciting their drivel to the wild applause of other poets—gaggles of magicians showing their tricks—throngs of fortune-tellers telling fortunes—countless lawyers perverting justice—or armies of peddlers hawking whatever rubbish came to hand. . . . —DIO THE GOLDEN-TONGUED, C. A.D. 100 ONCE”
― Tony Perrottet, The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games

“There would have been no need for Fidel to start a revolution in the first place. It’s a dismal pattern that has been repeated over and over again in the decades since Batista fled, with the United States propping up a string of appalling dictators in Iran, Vietnam, Chile, and Panama, to name a few. The tragedy is that it has almost always led to disastrous results. By betraying its own principles, the United States has also managed to defeat its most basic strategic goals.”
― Tony Perrottet, Cuba Libre!: Che, Fidel, and the Improbable Revolution That Changed World History

“There were no weight divisions in Greek wrestling, so Olympic contestants tended to be heavyweights all. In his training manual, the coach Philostratus mentions that the wrestlers were given nicknames according to their different types of physiques, like “the bear,” “the eagle,” and “the lion” (the latter, for example, had strong arms but a weak back, daring in the attack but losing heart at any setback). Personal character, as dictated by the four bodily humors, was just as important as strength for a champion. Those whose bodies were high in phlegm made good wrestlers, Philostratus said, but those who were choleric were too emotional, with the potential even for insanity.”
― Tony Perrottet, The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games