A journey of exploration through history’s great decisions and those who had the courage to make them. In brief, compelling, and inspiring vignettes, bestselling historian Alan Axelrod pinpoints and investigates the make-or-break event in the lives and careers of some of history’s most significant figures. Axelrod reexamines history by revealing the answer to the fascinating question of why the people who made history made their choices—and conveys the resonance of those choices today. The 46 profiles range from ancient times to the present day and include Cleopatra’s decision to rescue Egypt; Washington’s decision to cross the Delaware and win; Gandhi’s decision to prevail against the British Empire without bloodshed; Truman’s decision to drop the A-bomb and end WW II; Rosa Parks decision to sit in for civil rights; Boris Yeltsin’s decision to embrace a new world order; and Flight 93’s decision to take a stand against terror.
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"It's great for those of us with ADD who would like to learn more about history, but don't really have the patience. "
— Raeshell (4 out of 5 stars)
“An insightful collection of vignettes ranging from ancient times to present.”
— Booklist“Prolific author Axelrod examines forty-six individuals who, in choosing a particular course of action, distinctly influenced history as we know it.”
— Library Journal" One of the better books I have been forced to read. "
— Michelle, 1/19/2013" It's great for those of us with ADD who would like to learn more about history, but don't really have the patience. "
— Raeshell, 3/18/2011" It was sort of a history book that provided snippets of data on various famous people who the author made great decisions. Worth reading but not worth buying the book. I got the book from my son who was getting rid of a bunch of books. "
— Tomlikeslife, 2/3/2011" This was a good/decent book. The writing is not very good, but I learned some interesting things about history. Some chapters were excruciatingly boring, but most were readable and overall I mostly enjoyed the quick, semi-educational read. "
— Abbi, 10/8/2009" inspiring insight into some of the big decisions made in history,,,,,enjoyed it! "
— Mandakini, 8/23/2009" This was a good/decent book. The writing is not very good, but I learned some interesting things about history. Some chapters were excruciatingly boring, but most were readable and overall I mostly enjoyed the quick, semi-educational read. "
— Abbi, 12/16/2008" inspiring insight into some of the big decisions made in history,,,,,enjoyed it! "
— Mandakini, 11/1/2007Alan Axelrod is the author of numerous books on history, business, and management. He has been a creative consultant to such television documentaries and series as The Wild West and Civil War Journal for the Discovery Channel. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Don Leslie has appeared on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theaters throughout the country. He has been heard in thousands of commercials, promos for all the broadcast networks and most cable stations, political campaigns, movie trailers, and over fifty audiobooks.