"If for the first time I had disobeyed, it was because I knew that Hitler was insane."

“He was trembling all over and the desk on which he was leaning shook. He was bathed in perspiration and became more agitated.”

“Even today, I can not say with certainty whether he himself believed in his words or whether he was knowingly deceiving those around him to urge him to keep to the end.”

“Gentlemen, you are the leaders of the best soldiers in the world. I will give you five or six of my own men; we will cover your back with sustained barrage fire to protect you while you cross the rue de Rivoli. All you need to do is force open a door to fight your way to the tapestry.”

“I am a soldier. I get orders. I execute them.”

“Oh, Field Marshal, so far it would have been a funeral without military honors, maybe now it can become one with military honors.”

“I was at Stalingrad, you know... And from that time onwards I have done nothing but manoeuvre to escape encirclement by the enemy: retreat on retreat, defeat upon defeat. And here I am in marvellous Paris. What do you think is going to happen now?”