“Clausewitz’s first principle was to have a secure base. From there one proceeds to freedom of action.”
Ian Fleming
The quote is by Dr. No, not James Bond, in the novel.
Dr. No (Primary source)
Dr. No is the sixth novel in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, marking the first appearance of the eponymous villain and introducing the tropical exoticism that would become a hallmark of the franchise.
“Mister Bond, power is sovereignty. Clausewitz’s first principle was to have a secure base. From there one proceeds to freedom of action. Together, that is sovereignty. I have secured these things and much besides. No one else in the world possesses them to the same degree. They cannot have them. The world is too public. These things can only be secured in privacy.”
Ian Fleming
“Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“When the odds are hopeless, when all seems to be lost, then is the time to be calm, to make a show of authority—at least of indifference.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“Because people are very careful with the secrets of their own business doesn’t mean that they’ll be careful with the secrets of yours.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“To speak well of a base man is much the same as speaking ill of a good man.”
— Leonardo da Vinci Primary source“All successful men have agreed in one thing—they were causationists.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt Disputed“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source