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

• The Rubicon Factor: 1
• Queen Boudicca and the Invaders CA A D: 20
• Tecumseh and an Indian Nation 1806: 34
• John F Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962: 50
• Galileo and the Universe 1633: 67
• Charlie Goodnight and the First Cattle Drive 1866: 82
• The Wright Brothers and the Airplane 1903: 95
• McNamara and Diners Club 1950: 108
• Bill Gates and MSDOS 1981: 124
• Lincoln and Emancipation 1862: 142
• Gandhi and Nonviolent Revolution 1893: 157
• W E B Du Bois and the NAACP 1909: 164
• Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson 194547: 174
• Betty Friedan and a Womans Place 1963: 183
• Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers 1971: 192
• James Burke and the Tylenol Murders 1982: 198
• William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest 1066: 207
• Woodrow Wilson and World War I 1 9 1: 219
• Jimmy Doolittle and the Tokyo Raid 1942: 229
• Edmund Hillary and Everest 1953: 239
• Chief Joseph and the End of Battle 1877: 261
• wight Eisenhower and DDay 1944: 275
• 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