Friday, November 23, 2012

Read About These People In Historical Non Fiction Books

By Dianne Crane


Historical non fiction books offer people the opportunity to explore and enjoy the past. Looking back is one way of avoiding mistakes as one focuses on the future; to use an oft quoted phrase, there is no point in reinventing the wheel. Studying the past is also a great way of finding general principles to apply to one's life. It is also one of the best ways to develop humility.

He developed the Napoleonic Code, a set of laws that have made many contemporary constitutions richer. That is not all Napoleon Bonaparte is known for; he is still regarded as one of the best military strategists in history, and his tactics are still studied by armies worldwide. He reconstituted the French Monarchy, declaring himself Emperor. At one point, he controlled most of what is now Europe.

The name Cleopatra evokes images of stunning beauty in many people's minds, a goddess like figure that took a daily bath in milk. The reality is very different; she was actually the last Pharaoh of Egypt. Strangely enough, the lady was not even Egyptian, but Greek, a descendant of Alexander the Great. Many people are familiar with her relationship with Mark Antony, which resulted in two sons. Very few know that she had a son with Caesar too.

Caesar is another well known figure, with everything from cocktails to roads named after him. He was one of greatest military commanders and statesmen in history, conquering much of Europe, and even invading the British Isles. He is credited with a number of reforms, including the introduction of the Julian calendar. He was assassinated on fifteenth of March, 44 years before Christ, and succeeded by his son.

Not many generals can claim the honor of remaining undefeated in the course of their military careers, but Alexander the Great did. He was extremely successful, creating one of the largest empires in ancient history. This covered what is now Greece, Egypt, Turkey, parts of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, India and Nepal. He was Aristotle's pupil until the age of sixteen.

Like Alexander, Genghis Khan created a huge empire through military conquest. By his death, his territories stretched from what is now Mongolia to modern China and Korea. After his death, his sons took over, maintaining a pattern of war and diplomatic agreements that eventually stretched the empire all the way to parts of Eastern Europe.

Success is possible even with a less illustrious background; Shaka, a well known Zulu king, is proof of that. Several researchers say that was an illegitimate child. Fortunately, this is did not prevent him from rising and becoming one of the most successful military commanders in history. He went on to establish a large empire in much of Southern Africa.

Thankfully, not everyone rose to fame for their actions on the battlefield; on the contrary, there are those who have risen to prominence because of their attempts to prevent war. Jesus Christ, Buddha and many others fall into this category. Oddly enough, these figures have created empires grounded in people's hearts, something no general can achieve, no matter how brilliant they are. More information on such people can be found in historical non fiction books.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment