Harold Nicolson Quotes

“The Dell,(Bodnant Garden) is the most extensive, most varied and most tasteful piece of planting I have ever seen. I have no doubt at all that this is the richest garden I have ever seen. Knowledge and taste are combined with enormous expenditure to render it one of the wonders of the world.”

Harold Nicolson

Dairy August 18th 1952

“To be a good diarist, one must have a little snouty, sneaky mind.”

Harold Nicolson

Diary, 9 Nov 1947

“For seventeen years, he did nothing at all but kill animals and stick in stamps.”

Harold Nicolson

Of King George V; Diary, 17 Aug 1949

“Dr Johnson is the only conversationalist who triumphs over time.”

Harold Nicolson

Diary,31st Jan.1934. Fontana books pub. 1969. Page 158.

“Clemenceau, Lloyd George and President Wilson… It is appalling that these ignorant and irresponsible men should be cutting Asia Minor to bits as if they were dividing a cake…”

Harold Nicolson

Paris Peace Conference, Spring, 1919

“Kennedy reminds me of Lindbergh and I suspect him of wishing to have a tough foreign policy and to worry about prestige. On the other hand, he is on the left, will be nicer to Negroes than to Big Business and has promised to appoint Adlai Stevenson as secretary of state. So it works out 50/50 by me.”

Harold Nicolson

Letter to V.S-W. 9th Nov 1960.