I asked my husband to pick five biographies for leaders he thought helped shape and change history and he gave me a list. Of course he didn’t stop at five. My husband is a very interesting young man and also very intelligent, he is also somewhat of a history.
Napolean Bonaparte
What I already know
He was short.
He was exiled in Saint Helena.
He was married to Josephine, divorced her and remarried a great niece of Marie Antoinette
Book Recommendation
Hitler
What I already know
He kicked the jews out of Germany
He was a racist
He was an incredible orator and could move the crowds
His mustache was ugly.
Book Recommendation
Fidel Castro
What I already know
He ruled Cuba for ages.
His buddy/comrade Che Guevara (Argentenian Doctor) helped him.
He handed the presidency over to his brother because of ill health.
Book Recommendation
Fidel Castro: My Life: A Spoken Autobiography
Anwar El Sadat
What I already know
He was a dictator
He smoked a pipe
He was married twice, his second wife was Gihan el Sadat.
He was kicked out of the army
He was part of the Free Officers movement but did not take part in the revolt itself, went to the movies instead.
He is very controversial.
Book Recommendation
Franklin Roosevelt
What I already know
He was in a wheelchair.
He gave the OK for the atomic bomb.
He was a president for four terms.
Book Recommendation
Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt
Regardless of what I think of these men or whether I agree with their effect on history they were all notable men. History must be read and understood for the future to be planned smartly.
Stay tuned next week for my own list of great people.
P.S. It is sad that the list does not include any women.
