Post: #1

I know that a lot of people around here like reading biographies of successful people to glean some insight from their lives. Who are your favorite historical figures to learn from?

I've always liked generals myself. Classically speaking I am a fan of Alexander the Great and Hannibal Barca. More recently Napoleon, George Patton and Erwin Rommel.

Some of my book recommendations on these guys.

Hannibal: Hannibal's Last Battle: Zama and the Fall of Carthage

Patton + Rommel: Masters of War

Alexander: Campaigns of Alexander

Who are your favorite figures to read about? Either via biographies or otherwise?

Post: #2

What is it with people putting their Amazon Associates ref links in their posts? At least say that you put them there.

Post: #3

I had never heard of Amazon Ref links until you mentioned them. I just copy pasted the address of the appropriate books so that interested people wouldn't have to go searching for them. I guess that I was logged in at the time and that was what caused the ref linkage? It was not my intention to offend anyone.

Post: #4

I have always being fascinated by Hitler. It seems he is still an enigma to historians. Despite so much being known and written about him.

Post: #5

Everyone is going to have his preferences, but I think it is important to look at a variety of great men from different historical periods and fields of endeavor. Only by doing this can we get a balanced view of what makes "greatness". Before I name specific persons, let me pitch Plutarch's "Lives" to you guys. Short biographies of all the greats from classical Greek and Roman history. Without any bullshit, nonsense, or agenda. And not one word of padding...every sentence counts.
Anyway, here are the people whose lives can be studied with profit:

Socrates
Alexander the Great
Plato
Aristotle
Julius Caesar
Diocletian
Constantine the Great
Justinian (and his wife Theodora)
Charlemagne
Caesare Borgia
Cosimo de Medici
Mohammed
Shah Abbas the Great
Tamerlane
Genghiz Khan
Queen Elizabeth I of England (I know, a female, but power is power)
Thomas Edison
Max Planck
Napoleon
Ivan the Terrible
Stalin
Benjamin Franklin
Theodore Roosevelt
Hernando Cortez
Sir Richard Burton
Charles Darwin
Spinoza
Ignatius Loyola

There are many others to choose from, of course. But a study of the lives of these figures can teach us much about struggle, perseverance, imagination, and willpower.

Post: #6

Simon Bolivar, dude conquered South America like 3 times.

Post: #7

edit

Post: #8

I'm intrigued by figures lost in the mists of time.

Lawgivers like Solon and Lycurgus.

Early Greek philosophers including pre-Socratic thinkers who have left only fragments up to Socrates himself, who is known mostly through Plato and Xenophon.

Eastern philosophical thinkers such as Lao Tzu (was he even one man or a composite of many?) and Confucius.

Zoroaster. It's not even clear what era the founder of Zoroastrianism lived in.

The prophets of the Old Testament - Abraham and Moses most notably.

Jesus Christ, the greatest mystery of all.

Quetzalcoatl - Meso-american tradition suggests that the god is based on a real historical figure.

Post: #9

Saladin-Kicked the Crusades out of the Middle East.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin

Post: #10

My list would be:

Winston Churchill

Simon Bolivar

Sun Tzu

Abraham Lincoln

Napoleon

Otto von Bismarck

Olaudah Equiano

Post: #11

Can I add GBFM to my list?

Post: #12

(08-17-2013 02:12 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Can I add GBFM to my list?

who is GBFM?

Post: #13

here are ten of mine not favourite just interesting
Nathaniel de Rothschild
Cecil Rhodes
Julius Caesar
Martin Luther
Sitting Bull
Lawrence of Arabia
Vladimir Lenin
Theodore Roosevelt
Heinrich Himmler
Oliver Cromwell

Post: #14

(08-17-2013 04:19 PM)Justice Beaver Wrote:  

(08-17-2013 02:12 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Can I add GBFM to my list?

who is GBFM?

Just a silly joke of mine.

He is an interesting and mysterious character though...

/thread-23366.html

Post: #15

(08-17-2013 05:12 PM)cardguy Wrote:  

(08-17-2013 04:19 PM)Justice Beaver Wrote:  

(08-17-2013 02:12 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Can I add GBFM to my list?

who is GBFM?

Just a silly joke of mine.

He is an interesting and mysterious character though...

/thread-23366.html

hahaha I like it, can you imagine if that was read out by the prime minister or the queen lol

Post: #16

Its already been said twice but fuck it: Alexander the Great. There is a reason for "the great". This guy had unbelievable ambition and drive. He conquered the known world by 30. Undefeated in battle. Who knows what he would have accomplished if he hadn't died so young. I am pissed to have been born in this modern civilized era where true alphas no longer exist. Men used to be judged by how many men they killed and lands conquered. Now, its how big your bank account is and how many women you have banged.

Post: #17

(08-18-2013 04:12 AM)RussianSoul Wrote:  I am pissed to have been born in this modern civilized era where true alphas no longer exist. Men used to be judged by how many men they killed and lands conquered. Now, its how big your bank account is and how many women you have banged.

There are still plenty of places you can go in this world if you want to live a brutal, short existence, where you have to watch your back wherever you are.

Personally, I'm a big fan of peaceful civilisation - it's much underrated.

Post: #18

(08-18-2013 06:12 AM)Acute Angle Wrote:  

(08-18-2013 04:12 AM)RussianSoul Wrote:  I am pissed to have been born in this modern civilized era where true alphas no longer exist. Men used to be judged by how many men they killed and lands conquered. Now, its how big your bank account is and how many women you have banged.

There are still plenty of places you can go in this world if you want to live a brutal, short existence, where you have to watch your back wherever you are.

Personally, I'm a big fan of peaceful civilisation - it's much underrated.

Well, it would be a stretch to call our current civilization peaceful. That said, it wouldn't be tolerated if someone, for example, tried to replicate Alexanders conquests. Nowadays, there has to be a civilized reason to wage war such as supplanting a dictator or cheaper oil,etc..I digress, modern warfare is a disgrace. Technology has supplanted skill and honor.

Post: #19

(08-18-2013 06:09 PM)RussianSoul Wrote:  I digress, modern warfare is a disgrace. Technology has supplanted skill and honor.

I would strongly disagree. Modern warfare is about teamwork and coordination. Skill is present in every step of the command chain, from soldiers enacting the orders to the generals giving them. I think honor has been romanticized pretty heavily throughout history. I don't see much "honor" in marauding across Central Asia, pillaging and raping along the way, as was the case with Alexander. We are talking about a guy who many historians believe had his father killed so that he would ascend to the throne before a new heir was born to Phillips second wife. Patricide is pretty textbook dishonor. Don't get me wrong he is one of my favorite historical figures but when you take a step back the guy is a lot more Genghis Khan than George Washington.

Post: #20

Lufty: Have you seen video footage of an AC130 in action? Most killing in today's wars is done by key-board warriors. How is that not a disgrace? As for Alexander, I am not saying he was a saint, but there were many moments where he displayed he was an honorable man and certainly a courageous one.

Post: #21

"Cheaper oil" has never been the plan. Just sayin´

Post: #22

(08-19-2013 12:58 PM)Lufty Wrote:  

(08-18-2013 06:09 PM)RussianSoul Wrote:  I digress, modern warfare is a disgrace. Technology has supplanted skill and honor.

I would strongly disagree. Modern warfare is about teamwork and coordination. Skill is present in every step of the command chain, from soldiers enacting the orders to the generals giving them. I think honor has been romanticized pretty heavily throughout history. I don't see much "honor" in marauding across Central Asia, pillaging and raping along the way, as was the case with Alexander. We are talking about a guy who many historians believe had his father killed so that he would ascend to the throne before a new heir was born to Phillips second wife. Patricide is pretty textbook dishonor. Don't get me wrong he is one of my favorite historical figures but when you take a step back the guy is a lot more Genghis Khan than George Washington.

I agree, people who are butt-licking this homosexual who killed his own father, and raped and killed his way to the world, should not be idolized. People who do that have psycological problems.

Post: #23

(08-20-2013 03:24 AM)RussianSoul Wrote:  Lufty: Have you seen video footage of an AC130 in action? Most killing in today's wars is done by key-board warriors. How is that not a disgrace? As for Alexander, I am not saying he was a saint, but there were many moments where he displayed he was an honorable man and certainly a courageous one.

I choose to see the skill in flying the plane, building the plane, using the planes weapon systems. People have become more specialized in their roles, but still have to learn said roles. I guess we both have different definitions of "Skill." I can see where you are coming from though. Alexander is one of my favorite historical figures, most for his iron will.I agree he was definitely courageous and depending on the situation he could be honorable.

(08-20-2013 04:11 AM)germanico Wrote:  "Cheaper oil" has never been the plan. Just sayin´

Cheaper oil for the big oil companies perhaps.

(08-20-2013 08:17 AM)ero Wrote:  I agree, people who are butt-licking this homosexual who killed his own father, and raped and killed his way to the world, should not be idolized. People who do that have psycological problems.

I think there are many things a man can learn from Alexander although it does pay to have prospective on who he was. On one hand a visionary general and leader of men. On the other a brutal ancient warlord. Take the good with the bad.

Post: #24

(08-20-2013 03:57 PM)Lufty Wrote:  I think there are many things a man can learn from Alexander although it does pay to have prospective on who he was. On one hand a visionary general and leader of men. On the other a brutal ancient warlord. Take the good with the bad.

There are many generals who were much more succesful in the world in much harsher situations. Alexander only fought against barbarians and easy enemies. Just compare Genghis Khan to Alexander and Alexander will seem like a fart in the air. As I said Alexander is too idolized in the west and they portrey him like a rockstar where in reality he did these very ugly things like massacring whole villages, raping, stealing, looting, and he wasn't even shy to kill his own dad. Sounds to me he was a psychopath.

Post: #25

Ben Franklin

Leonardo

Hadrian

Men of many talents.