From the sentimental point of view, it is the last great Polar journey that can be made.

I chose life over death for myself and my friends... I believe it is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all.

If you're a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you've got to keep going.

Difficulties are just things to overcome after all.

By endurance we conquer.

I have often marveled at the thin line which separates success from failure.

Optimism is true moral courage.

A man must shape himself to a new mark directly the old one goes to ground.

When things are easy, I hate it.

Superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results.

I called to the other men that the sky was clearing, and then a moment later I realized that what I had seen was not a rift in the clouds but the white crest of an enormous wave.

Reality is changing Viena. You can not stop the cycle.

If you want to hurt somebody and you want to know where his vulnerable spot is you have to know him, before you can put in the right dig, that's very important.

Stop telling me that love is blind. Love doesn't need to be blind

Delayed gratification is a sweet lesson whose teacher knows the best is not right now, it is yet to be.

Now, if, as I think, writing should be, it's a kind of risky trade.

The unconscious mind of man sees correctly even when conscious reason is blind and impotent.

My heroes used to be cowboys.

I don't know why you'd spend any of your time trying to remake something that you don't actually like.

This was my first novel [The Dissemblers ]. I've never seriously written short stories, and actually find short stories much more intimidating as an art form than novels.

I always thought, from day one, that winning races was just doing your job.