Quote
By Napoleon Bonaparte
A general of ordinary talent occupying a bad position, and surprized by a superior force, seeks his safety in retreat; but a great captain supplies all deficiencies by his courage, and marches boldly to meet the attack.
- Source
- The Officer's Manual: Military Maxims of Napoleon (translated from the French by Colonel D'Aguilar), 1831 · Maxim XVIII, pp. 18-19
- Read at
- Richard Milliken and Son, Dublin (Internet Archive scan of the 1831 edition)
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About this quote
Maxim XVIII in The Officer's Manual: Military Maxims of Napoleon, translated from the French by Colonel D'Aguilar (Dublin: Richard Milliken and Son, 1831). The collection gathers maxims drawn from Napoleon's military writings, so this is a translator's English, not Napoleon's own French. The maxim goes on to say that by this bold conduct he disconcerts his adversary.