Résultats Éditeur "Hourly History" dans Sciences sociales et politiques

Now that the dust of history has finally begun to settle, we can get a much clearer view of who Thomas Paine was. This book seeks to cut through the hype and hyperbole to present to you the life of an unapologetic patriot and inveterate freethinker - Thomas Paine, the father of the American Revolution.

Anne Boleyn is most likely the best-known of Henry VIII’s six wives; she is also the most controversial. History has represented Anne as either a whore or a martyr. The true story, however, is far more complex...Catherine of Aragon had failed to provide Henry VIII of England with a male heir to the throne, so the king looked to Catherine’s maid of honor, Anne Boleyn, to secure his Tudor lineage. When Anne also failed to give birth to a son, her fate was sealed. She was charged with multiple counts of adultery during a trial everyone agreed was a sham.

Alexandra Feodorovna was one of the most tragic figures of the 20th century. Born in the wrong time, giddy with power, married to a man who ruled one-sixth of the world, she was murdered with her family in 1918.

Japanese Emperor Hirohito is one of history’s most enigmatic figures. He led the Japanese during the darkest point of their history as they joined forces with the fascist of Nazi Germany and Italy. Upon Japan’s defeat most believed that Emperor Hirohito would stand trial for the war crimes he was accused of presiding over.

What American president would not relish the thought of his time in office bearing the description “Era of Good Feeling”? That was the title given to the time when President James Monroe occupied the White House. Monroe was a Virginian, but his destiny was not defined solely by his loyalty to his state. He was an American, assured of a future destined to be grand because he lived in a nation where possibilities were probable.

Charles II of England remains one of the most easily identifiable and best known of England’s monarchs. Deprived of his throne following the execution of his father, he contended with hardship and exile before achieving a peaceful restoration and the beginning of what would be remembered as a colorful period of English history. His reign also led to the creation of the two-party system that would shape English and later British politics for centuries to come.

Charles I is one of the most instantly recognizable of the English monarchs. During his reign, the relationship between king and Parliament changed radically, with revolutionary results. A man of deeply held convictions whose refusal to compromise brought about conflict and civil war, King Charles I almost destroyed the English monarchy forever.

The life of Martin Luther King Jr. was painfully short but joyously valuable. Using non-violent direct action and the principles of Christian love, King became the most influential pioneer of the civil rights movement in the United States of America. A husband, father, pastor, and leader, King preached a message of hope by taking to the streets and changing the world.

In this audiobook, we seek to cut through centuries of bias and preconceived notions when it comes to Marie Antoinette. Never mind what you may think you know about this sensational sovereign; here, we seek to find the real person behind the historical quips and catchphrases.

While names like Nero, Caligula, Hadrian, and Constantine grab all the attention with their exploits, Marcus Aurelius tends to sit more in the historical background of the Roman Empire. In many ways, he is a lesser known emperor even though his written works have stood the test of time. Marcus, a prolific writer and formidable scholar, was perhaps the first to fulfill Plato’s dream of the philosopher king.

The first American president born to immigrant parents, Jackson was the embodiment of the new blood which infused the American spirit in the early 19th century. Jacksonian democracy invigorated the national government and became a foundation of the modern political process. Controversial and complicated, Andrew Jackson's life is worthy of examination. To understand America, it’s vital to understand Andrew Jackson.

Gandhi. The name conjures the image of a man, unimpressive in appearance, simple in his lifestyle, who spent his life pursuing independence for India. Months after the country achieved that independence from Great Britain, Gandhi’s life ended when an assassin killed him. But Gandhi’s legacy lives on. Gandhi’s rise to political and spiritual leadership is the incredible saga of a man who, in his youth, showed no signs of greatness but who became one of the most influential men of all time.

John Wycliffe was known as the “Morning Star” of the Reformation. His doctrines of strict adherence to the Bible and his attacks on the wealth and corruption of the Catholic Church would be the spark that would later ignite the fires of the Protestant Reformation.

From the humblest of beginnings as the third of seven sons born to a struggling Kansas couple, Dwight D. Eisenhower emerged as a military leader whose administrative acumen brought clashing personalities together. During his time in office, he was frequently dismissed as a man who would rather play golf than govern, but history has treated the 34th president with a respect that recognizes the strength of his leadership and the breadth of his accomplishments.

Andrew Jackson believed in the rights of the common man because he came from humble beginnings and distrusted the vested institutions of power. The first American president born to immigrant parents, Jackson was the embodiment of the new blood that infused the American spirit in the early 19th century. Like his country, he was both ruthless and chivalrous, hot-tempered and steadfast, an authoritarian and a believer in equality. Jackson cannot be described in one-dimensional terms because there were layers to the Tennessee frontier president.

If anything, Karl Marx’s life reminds us of the power of the pen over the sword. During his lifetime, he lived in relative obscurity. Rather than making any waves, Marx was usually lucky just to make the rent. And to make the ongoing hardship of his life even worse, Karl Marx was afflicted with boils from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. But his pen would indeed demonstrate its power, and by the time 70-some years had passed since his demise, one-third of the entire planet would be living under regimes based upon his ideology.

One of America’s most influential presidents was a man who could not walk. The polio that struck Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he was a future political star did not diminish him. Instead, against all expectations, it was the agent that forged his destiny.

How is it that so little is known about the Renaissance man of America’s early history, with no image on Mount Rushmore, no face on currency, and certainly no Broadway musical to his posthumous credit? Perhaps it’s because he was not a man who sought renown. Throughout his career, others, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams, sought his help when the country was in need of his skills. John Jay’s role in the establishment of the United States, a country that was founded upon ideals of freedom and democracy, has almost been forgotten.

The list of American war heroes who went on to become presidents includes men as little remembered as Zachary Taylor and as famous as Dwight D. Eisenhower. While these men are venerable with a significant their place in American history, they cannot equal the status of Ulysses S. Grant, the Civil War general who rose through the ranks from virtual obscurity to command.

He’s the president with the asterisk by his name: Richard Milhous Nixon, the only US president to resign from office. But Richard Nixon’s legacy to the history of the US is much more complicated than the scandal of Watergate. His is the classic story of American legend - a young man who rose from his humble roots to achieve power and influence. Was Nixon a villain or a hero? Meet the president whose personality consisted of conflicting layers of pragmatism, patriotism, and self-doubt, which caused a fall from grace that roiled American democracy.