The Life of a Head of State (A Century of Turbulent Times, Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Yang Guorong (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-10-01
Features: "The course of life's river can be diverted by one person's character. If Leontidas had fled at Marathon, if Charles Martel had fled at Poitiers, Western civilization might have been entirely different. And if Christ had denied his doctrines before Pilate, everything might have been another story." These words are from a co-authored book by Frenchman Pierre Accus and Swiss Pierre Lanchinik; we quote this passage to illustrate the importance of leaders in the course of human history and the motivation behind compiling this biography of leaders. Leaders from around the world are professional politicians, and their struggles have left indelible marks on human history. Among them are sages and wise men, as well as demons and scoundrels! Some have failed in the ruthless political struggle, becoming victims of history and writing a tragic, unforgettable page; some have successfully played the role of saviors on the historical stage; some have made outstanding contributions to their countries, people, or even the progress of the world, leaving a glorious legacy; while others have gone mad, launched wars, dragged their own people or the people of the world into the depths of suffering, and been cursed for all eternity.
In this biography book featuring over a hundred leaders from around the world, readers can fully admire their charisma, glimpse their mysterious souls, grasp their character traits, understand their fervent desire to seize the highest position, and learn about the various means they employ—whether wielding the sword of justice with integrity, relying on deception, using cunning, resorting to violence, or exploiting and manipulating the masses.
To understand history, one must first understand the people who act on its stage; to understand the people on the historical stage, one must first understand the leaders who guide these "actors"—the leaders of various countries. For this reason, among the numerous biographical works, books about leaders have been particularly favored by readers; for this reason, we have devoted ourselves wholeheartedly to compiling this large-scale "Chronicles of a Century—Biographies of Leaders."