“Not the historians. No, not them. Their greatest crime is that they presume to know what happened, how things come about, when they have only what the past chose to leave behind-- for the most part, they think what they were meant to think, and it's a rare one that sees what really happened, behind the smokescreen of artifacts and paper...No, the fault lies with the artists...The writers, the singers, the tellers of tales. It's them that take the past and re-create it to their liking. Them that could take a fool and give you back a hero, take a sot and make him a king...Liars?...or sorcerers? Do they see the bones in the dust of the earth, see the essence of a thing that was, and clothe it in new flesh, so the plodding beast reemerges as a fabulous monster?”

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Originally said in English.

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About Diana Gabaldon

Scottish author best known for the *Outlander* series, which blends historical fiction with time-travel intrigue. Her work reimagines the 18th-century Scottish Highlands and American Revolutionary War through a modern protagonist’s lens, earning widespread acclaim for its rich storytelling and emotional depth.

More from Diana Gabaldon (203 quotes) →
"Not the historians. No, not them. Their greatest crime is that they p…" — Diana Gabaldon | Daily Quotes