Foch the Man: A Life of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies

“Force that is not dominated by spirit is vain force. Victory, in his belief, goes to those who merit it by the greatest strength of will and intelligence. It was his endeavor, always, to develop in the hundreds of officers who were his students, that dual strength in which it seemed to him that victory could only lie: moral and intellectual ability to perceive what ought to be done, and intellectual and moral ability to do it. In his mind, it is impossible to be intelligent with the brain alone. The Germans do not comprehend this, and therein, to Ferdinand Foch, lies the key to all their failures. He believes that each of us must think with our soul's aid”

— Clara E. Laughlin

“Foch made the men who sat under him love their work for the work's sake and not for its rewards. He fired them with an ardor for military art which made them feel that in all the world there is nothing so fascinating, so worth while, as knowing how to defend one's country when she needs defense. He was able, in peace times when the military spirit was little applauded and much decried, to give his students an enthusiasm for "preparedness" which flamed as high and burned as pure as that which ordinarily is lighted only by a great national rush to arms to save the country from ravage.””

— Clara E. Laughlin

“Almost his entire comprehension of war is based upon men and the way they act under certain stress”

— Clara E. Laughlin

“Development," mind you”

— Clara E. Laughlin