“War consists of months of intolerable boredom interspersed with moments of extreme fear.”
This powerful adage captures a profound truth about combat. Many people imagine a soldier’s life as constant, high-stakes action. However, this quote reveals a different reality. It speaks to the psychological duality of military experience. Long periods of waiting and monotony are suddenly broken by short bursts of intense, life-threatening danger. This observation has resonated with soldiers for over a century. Yet, its exact origin remains a fascinating historical mystery.
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The Elusive Origins of a Famous Saying
The quest to find the quote’s author leads back to early 20th-century London. The first known printed version appeared on June 28, 1909. It was in an article in The Westminster Gazette by a writer using the pseudonym “Civis.” Interestingly, Civis did not claim to have invented the phrase. He presented it as an existing saying, suggesting it was already common in military circles. Source
Over the next year, Civis published several variations. For example, in September 1909, the wording changed to “weeks of intolerable boredom, punctuated by moments of agonising fear.” He attributed this version to “an old campaigner.” By August 1910, another version described The First World War: A Complete History as “months of monotonous fatigue, punctuated by moments of agonising fear.” These subtle shifts show how the core idea was adapting and spreading. The sentiment remained the same, even as the specific words evolved.
Cemented by the Great War
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 solidified the phrase in the public mind. The brutal reality of trench warfare made the saying more relevant than ever. In November 1914, The Times of London published a piece from a cavalry subaltern. He described his experience as “months of boredom punctuated by moments of terror.” This account, coming directly from the front lines, gave the saying immense credibility.
December 1914 saw a flurry of similar quotes. One notable version came from Lieutenant H. O. A. Anne of the Royal Field Artillery. He attributed the saying to a British officer who had served in South Africa. This version described war as “a period of intense discomfort punctured by moments of abject terror.” The reference to South Africa is significant. It suggests the phrase may have originated during the Second Boer War (1899-1902), predating the 1909 newspaper articles. During that same month, other publications like the Yale Alumni Weekly and Guy’s Hospital Gazette featured nearly identical phrasing, confirming its widespread use.
. The Second Boer War (1899-1902) – National Army Museum
An Enduring Legacy Beyond the Trenches
The saying’s relevance did not fade after World War I. It continued to appear in soldiers’ letters and military publications. For instance, an April 1915 article in The Gloucestershire Echo quoted a soldier describing “hours of boredom, punctuated with moments of abject fear.” Furthermore, in 1940, Field-Marshal Lord Milne was credited with a similar statement. He said war consists of “long periods of extreme boredom, punctuated by short and sharp periods of extreme danger.” This attribution to a high-ranking official shows the phrase had become accepted military wisdom.
The core concept proved so universal that other professions adopted it. By the 1960s, a new version emerged among aviators. Veteran pilots began to define flying as “endless hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror.” This adaptation demonstrates how the fundamental insight applies to any high-risk activity involving long periods of routine monitoring followed by moments of critical action. The psychological pattern of monotony and acute stress is a shared human experience in dangerous environments.
The Wisdom of an Unknown Soldier
So, who truly authored this iconic phrase? The answer is likely no one person. The mystery of its origin is part of its power. The saying feels less like a clever quote and more like a piece of collective folk wisdom. It seems to have emerged organically from the shared experiences of countless soldiers.
This anonymous origin makes the statement more authentic. It represents a universal truth discovered by those who lived through the stark reality it describes. The cycle of intense waiting followed by terrifying action is a core part of the soldier’s experience. Consequently, this simple, powerful sentence remains one of the most accurate and enduring descriptions of warfare ever spoken.