Profiles in Audacity: Great Decisions and how They Were Made

Alan Axelrod

Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2006 - History - 309 pages

A journey of exploration through history’s great decisions and those who had the courage to make them.

 

In brief, compelling, and inspiring vignettes, bestselling historian Alan Axelrod pinpoints and investigates the make-or-break event in the lives and careers of some of history’s most significant figures. Axelrod reexamines history by revealing the answer to the fascinating question of why the people who made history made their choices—and conveys the resonance of those choices today. The 46 profiles range from ancient times to the present day and include Cleopatra’s decision to rescue Egypt; Washington’s decision to cross the Delaware and win; Gandhi’s decision to prevail against the British Empire without bloodshed; Truman’s decision to drop the A-bomb and end WW II; Rosa Parks decision to sit in for civil rights; Boris Yeltsin’s decision to embrace a new world order; and Flight 93’s decision to take a stand against terror.

 

Alan Axelrod is the prolific author of over 60 books on subjects covering history, business, and management, including the bestsellers Patton on Leadership; Elizabeth I, CEO; and What Every American Should Know About American History: 200 Events That Shaped the Nation (with Charles Phillips). He has spoken at management and leadership seminars around the country, and has served as consultant to companies and institutions including Siemens AG and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has appeared on MSNBC, The Discovery Channel, CNN, Fox, and numerous radio news and talk programs, including NPR. Axelrod and his work have been featured in BusinessWeek, Fortune, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan., and many newspapers, including USA Today.

 

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Profiles in Audacity: Great Decisions and How They Were Made

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Prolific author Axelrod (Profiles in Leadership ) examines 46 individuals who, in choosing a particular course of action, distinctly influenced history as we know it. Breaking his book up into five ...

Contents

• Cleopatra and the Romans 4830 B C: 11
• Queen Boudicca and the Invaders CA A D: 20
• Beethoven and Deafness 1802: 30
• Truman and the ABomb 1945: 41
• John F Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962: 50
• Galileo and the Universe 1633: 67
• Meriwether Lewis Thomas Jefferson: 74
• X: 108
• Edmund Hillary and Everest 1953: 239
• Boris Yeltsin and the Communist Coup 1991: 250
• Chief Joseph and the End of Battle 1877: 261
• Andrew Carnegie and the Gospel of Wealth 1889: 269
• Dwight Eisenhower and DDay 1944: 275
• Todd Beamer and Flight 93 2001: 285
• Further Reading: 294

About the author

Alan Axelrod was born on August 25, 1952, in New York. He was educated at Northeastern Illinois University and University of Iowa. He is a leading writer about American history, and is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to American History. In his books, Axelrod presents the facts, details, and faces that have helped shape the history of the United States. Axelrod has served as a consultant to several museums and institutions. He has received numerous honors, including a National Cowboy Hall of Fame Award in 1991.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Profiles in Audacity: Great Decisions and how They Were Made
• Author: Alan Axelrod
• Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2006
• ISBN: 1402732821, 9781402732829
• Length: 309 pages
• Subjects: History / Reference