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50 Leaders Who Changed History
History has been shaped by a host of inspirational leaders—men and women who with great vision and passion have driven forward innovations in the spheres of politics, religion, culture, and the arts. 50 Leaders Who Changed History surveys 50 of the greatest names: from the fearsome Genghis Khan and fellow empire builders Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte to pioneers in the arts such as the enigmatic Pablo Picasso and William Shakespeare. Explore how these leaders rose to prominence, analyze their achievements and legacy, and draw from their examples. The 50 stories collected here contain many lessons for the modern leader. Key skills of leadership emerge throughout the book: From bold military leaders to technical innovators and social reformers, great leaders share many core traits. The ability to communicate your message; the force of character to motivate your troops; absolute conviction and dedication to a cause—these appear again and again. The story of leadership is not just the story of impressive personalities, it tells a broader tale of the development of ideas and ideals that molded the world we live in today.
- GenresHistory
223 pages, Hardcover
Published July 29, 2015
8 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Charles Phillips
464 books23 followersThere is more than one author by this name on Goodreads
Charles Phillips (b. 1962) is an established writer of popular history, a contributor to Cassell's Dictionary of Modern Britain as well as to the Chronicle of Britain and several illustrated stories.
He has a keen interest in the mythology and history of the great Maya and Aztec civilizations and was a key writer on Time Life's Myth and Mankind series.
Phillips is a graduate of Oxford University, and holds an MA from the University of Westminster.
See also:
Charles Phillips, 1787-1859
Charles Phillips, Goodreads author, Historical Fiction
Charles Phillips, b.1948, American history
Charles Phillips (b. 1962) is an established writer of popular history, a contributor to Cassell's Dictionary of Modern Britain as well as to the Chronicle of Britain and several illustrated stories.
He has a keen interest in the mythology and history of the great Maya and Aztec civilizations and was a key writer on Time Life's Myth and Mankind series.
Phillips is a graduate of Oxford University, and holds an MA from the University of Westminster.
See also:
Charles Phillips, 1787-1859
Charles Phillips, Goodreads author, Historical Fiction
Charles Phillips, b.1948, American history
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 13, 2016
The concept and the cover hooked me as did the introduction and the first handful of profiles. I love the topic and admire many of the leaders described.
I would say that it was a lot more flash than substance; nice pictures and format, sharp looking graphs, but the biographies were disarrayed and not always enlightening. In cases of subjects of whom I knew much, I saw some inaccuracies and misrepresentations, even some typos.
Phillips is an Englishman who is an expert on military history, so I think those profiles were his strongest. The Americans, especially the sports figures, he had much less feel for.
It is a good coffee table book. Of course, nobody will ever agree on who the 50 greatest leaders are but it's fun to see one educated man's purview.
I would say that it was a lot more flash than substance; nice pictures and format, sharp looking graphs, but the biographies were disarrayed and not always enlightening. In cases of subjects of whom I knew much, I saw some inaccuracies and misrepresentations, even some typos.
Phillips is an Englishman who is an expert on military history, so I think those profiles were his strongest. The Americans, especially the sports figures, he had much less feel for.
It is a good coffee table book. Of course, nobody will ever agree on who the 50 greatest leaders are but it's fun to see one educated man's purview.
not-my-cup-of-tea__0stars
June 11, 2024Didn't even start.
Browsing through a few of the leaders listed, I found some historically inaccurate information and other parts that had skewed facts, only focusing on the sections that the author called 'leadership,' but failing to share the bad things they did in their lives as well. This slanted view and incorrect detail can have individuals looking up to people they shouldn't be because they don't have all the information and downplays the profound effect other figures had throughout history. I'm only listing a couple of the issues I found:
Skewed perspective: Genghis Khan
The author focuses on this "fearsome Mongol chief's military might to build a vast empire." The author even mentions how Genghis Khan and his troops killed over 40 million, that he was a ruthless war leader, but he was also "open-minded and had a 'listening ear.'" But the author fails to mention that he was also a mass rapist and that a large portion of the world carries some of his DNA to this day. I'm sorry, but having 11 children did not carry his DNA into half the population. I'm also not buying the claims that he was simply a 'great lover' either, that I've seen in news articles. With an army slaying 40 million people, though I'm sure some women did sleep with him willingly, I guarantee there were a lot that didn't since he and his army had just slaughtered their loved ones.
Inaccurate information: Jesus of Nazareth
The author claims that Jesus was only "the charismatic leader...a Jewish teacher...a gifted communicator...that inspired powerful loyalty in his followers," but "that there is no surviving archaeological or physical evidence of Jesus...aside from references in the Qur'an and possibly the Talmud...and three non-Christian documentary references." The author also mentions the parables of Jesus, saying some of them were "difficult and seemingly counter-intuitive, such as those suggested by the Parable of the Prodigal Son or that of the Lost Sheep, which seem to reward negligence and selfishness over loyalty." There are SO MANY inaccuracies in this section alone. The author downplays the effect Jesus has had on history, even to this day, by simply calling Him a teacher and a good communicator and to simply say "inspired powerful loyalty" is a severe understatement as well. The author also claims 'no surviving archaeological or physical evidence of Jesus. Obviously physical evidence is not available, and some archaeological evidence may not be available, as these things are not/may not be available for many historical figures like Muhammed Ibn 'Abd Allah or Homer, yet we accept that those historical figures existed based on eye witnesses and historical documents. Why not Jesus of Nazareth? That's the author's biased standard showing. Lastly, the author's claims about the parables shows the authors lack of understanding, lack of studying the Word and/or lack of simply listening to a sermon on those parables that would have explained what Jesus had meant by them.
Studying and learning about these historical figures is important, but I'd suggest using different resources.
Browsing through a few of the leaders listed, I found some historically inaccurate information and other parts that had skewed facts, only focusing on the sections that the author called 'leadership,' but failing to share the bad things they did in their lives as well. This slanted view and incorrect detail can have individuals looking up to people they shouldn't be because they don't have all the information and downplays the profound effect other figures had throughout history. I'm only listing a couple of the issues I found:
Skewed perspective: Genghis Khan
The author focuses on this "fearsome Mongol chief's military might to build a vast empire." The author even mentions how Genghis Khan and his troops killed over 40 million, that he was a ruthless war leader, but he was also "open-minded and had a 'listening ear.'" But the author fails to mention that he was also a mass rapist and that a large portion of the world carries some of his DNA to this day. I'm sorry, but having 11 children did not carry his DNA into half the population. I'm also not buying the claims that he was simply a 'great lover' either, that I've seen in news articles. With an army slaying 40 million people, though I'm sure some women did sleep with him willingly, I guarantee there were a lot that didn't since he and his army had just slaughtered their loved ones.
Inaccurate information: Jesus of Nazareth
The author claims that Jesus was only "the charismatic leader...a Jewish teacher...a gifted communicator...that inspired powerful loyalty in his followers," but "that there is no surviving archaeological or physical evidence of Jesus...aside from references in the Qur'an and possibly the Talmud...and three non-Christian documentary references." The author also mentions the parables of Jesus, saying some of them were "difficult and seemingly counter-intuitive, such as those suggested by the Parable of the Prodigal Son or that of the Lost Sheep, which seem to reward negligence and selfishness over loyalty." There are SO MANY inaccuracies in this section alone. The author downplays the effect Jesus has had on history, even to this day, by simply calling Him a teacher and a good communicator and to simply say "inspired powerful loyalty" is a severe understatement as well. The author also claims 'no surviving archaeological or physical evidence of Jesus. Obviously physical evidence is not available, and some archaeological evidence may not be available, as these things are not/may not be available for many historical figures like Muhammed Ibn 'Abd Allah or Homer, yet we accept that those historical figures existed based on eye witnesses and historical documents. Why not Jesus of Nazareth? That's the author's biased standard showing. Lastly, the author's claims about the parables shows the authors lack of understanding, lack of studying the Word and/or lack of simply listening to a sermon on those parables that would have explained what Jesus had meant by them.
Studying and learning about these historical figures is important, but I'd suggest using different resources.
January 23, 2018
Its a great summary of the lives and achievements of 50 people who have changed the world thought human history. the content is very well organized, it is easy to follow, easy to understand and also you don't get overwhelmed with information.
I just wished the author would have added more scientists, inventors, and thinkers. it is heavily geared towards militaristic and political leaders. Few of the ones that come to my mind are: Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Tesla, Graham Bell, Einstein, Edison, Henry Ford or Benjamin Franklin.
The omission of Che Guevara is just an insult to the meaning of the word 'leader'; and who can possible forget about Mozart or Beethoven.
I just wished the author would have added more scientists, inventors, and thinkers. it is heavily geared towards militaristic and political leaders. Few of the ones that come to my mind are: Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Tesla, Graham Bell, Einstein, Edison, Henry Ford or Benjamin Franklin.
The omission of Che Guevara is just an insult to the meaning of the word 'leader'; and who can possible forget about Mozart or Beethoven.
November 13, 2019
I enjoyed the format of the book very much. It was interesting how it took each of the 50 leaders highlighted band break it down by specific attributes based on historical data marked under leadership analysis. There is also a personal timeline for each of them as well. For me, I was able to look at some of the more well known leaders in a different light and some insight to others that I was not as familiar.
April 14, 2021
Decent as a coffee table book but far too shallow to be very informative. Almost everyone is presented in a purely positive and praiseworthy light which eliminates any nuance. There's some controversial picks such as Mother Theresa and I find the books skews more modern in terms of leaders
August 11, 2023
A nice little introduction to some interesting historical figures. It's got some memorable facts, but does more to rouse interest and make you want to go out and buy a more in-depth book on particular people.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews