Archibald Wavell

"A general may succeed for some time in persuading his superiors that he is a good commander: he will never persuade his army that he is a good commander unless he has the real qualities of one."

"No amount of study or learning will make a man a leader unless he has the natural qualities of one."

"Let us be clear about three facts. First, all battles and all wars are won in the end by the infantryman. Secondly, the infantryman always bears the brunt. His casualties are heavier, he suffers great…"

"The British have been a free people and are still a comparatively free people; and though we are not, thank Heaven, a military nation, this tradition of freedom gives to our junior leaders in war a pr…"

"I can only say that I have always believed in doing everything possible in war to mystify and mislead one’s opponent…."

"The higher commander who goes to Field Service Regulations for tactical guidance inspires about as much confidence as the doctor who turns to a medical dictionary for his diagnosis."

"A bold general may be lucky, but no general can be lucky unless he is bold.  The general who allows himself to be bound and hampered by regulations is unlikely to win a battle."