Barbara Taylor Bradford Quotes

In my opinion, moderation is a vastly overrated virtue, particularly when applied to work

Life always gets harder towards the summit – the cold increases, responsibility increases

Never let stress shape your strategy. Most women think better after a brisk walk, a light meal, a massage and a nap.

Edwina always enjoyed a morning ride. Some mornings she rode the horse, and some mornings she rode the groom.

Elizabeth was counting on Marco to keep cousin Mary occupied until after the board meeting was over. A piece of cheese might catch a mouse, but an afternoon alone with a muscular masseur would ensnare her cousin far more effectively. And afterwards, while Mary lay sated and sleeping upon a massage table, wiser heads could determine the company’s future. There were times, Elizabeth thought, when success in business demanded utter ruthlessness.

The past was always there, lived inside of you, and it helped to make you who you were. But it had to be placed in perspective. The past could not dominate the future.

What is done can never be undone.

The value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we make to them; a man may live long, yet get little from life. Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not on your tale of years, but on your will – Montaigne, Essays

He who ascends to mountaintops, shall find The loftiest peaks most wrapt in clouds and snow; He who surpasses or subdues mankind Must look down on the hate of those below

It’s different when the person you love dies. There’s an awful finality to death. But it is final. The end. And there’s the funeral, family gatherings, grieving, all of those necessary rituals. And they help, believe me. When the object of your love just disappears, there’s no way to deal with the grief and pain.

Always present yourself as a woman who expects to succeed.

I am a huge admirer of Elizabeth I, and this intriguing biography gives a wonderful picture of the era.