Joanne OSullivan - The Great and the Terrible

I f you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be? What sums up the very most important thing people should know about you? How would you like to be remembered? Choose thoughtfully. It may be a word that ends up being joined to your name forever .

In this book, youll meet some of the most memorable people in history. Good, great, magnificent, and beloved people. Terrible, cruel, and bloodthirsty people. They were all leaders who made an impression that has lasted (some for thousands of years!).

First, consider the greats in the following pages. Each leader here is great in his or her own way. Some have fascinating legends attached to their births or to their lives. (Can the stars really predict when a great person will be born? Youll have to read to find out.) These leaders come from different places around the world at different periods in history. But there are some things they all have in common: They respected others; often they were big-picture thinkers; they were willing to listen to those they served; they learned from their mistakes; they thought about their actions in the long term, not just about what was beneficial at the moment. Sometimes the change they wanted wouldnt be achieved in their lifetimes, but they laid the groundwork so that things would be better for those who came after them. When times were tough, these great people rose to the challenges before them.

When you look at the so-called terribles in this book, youll find that they also have some things in common. They usually put themselves first. They didnt have respect for anyone. Instead of learning and changing with the times or the circumstances, they were closed off to new ideas. Some of them would do anything to get what they wanted.

Remember, though, that humans are complicated. Some of the greats youll find here did terrible things, too. Some of the terribles werent all that bad. Sometimes a person is considered great by one group but terrible by another. Theres a very well-known expression that youll want to consider when you read about each of these greats and terribles: History is written by the victor. That means that the story we remember about a person or an event may not be the whole story, just one side of it.

As you read this book, be sure to ask yourself: What qualities do you think make a leader great? Who are the greatest heroes in history (or even today), in your opinion? Would you rather have a leader who is powerful or one who is wise? Is it better to break with tradition, to follow it, or to adapt it to suit your circumstances?

And finally, ask yourself: How do you want people to remember you?

Signed,

Joanne the Curious

THE GREAT ROYAL WIFE, EGYPTS FEMALE PHARAOH

REIGN: 14791458 BCE

FATHER: Pharaoh Thutmose I / MOTHER: Queen Ahmose

SUCCESSOR: Thutmose III

OTHER NAMES: Gods Wife, Lady of the Land to Its Limits, the Great One, the Foremost of Noble Ladies

WHAT WAS SO GREAT ABOUT HATSHEPSUT?

Hatshepsut (pronounced hat-SHEP-soot) wasnt the only female leader that Egypt ever hadseveral women before and after her served as regent for boys who were too young to rule. She also wasnt the only one with the title Great Royal Wife. This was given to the chief wife of each pharaoh (pharaohs typically had many wives). But historians think Hatshepsut was the first Egyptian woman to declare herself pharaoh, the title used for those considered the supreme ruler of Egypt and descendant of the gods. That took some great courage! But its also why she was nearly forgotten for thousands of years: archeologists who found carvings of her thought she was actually a man!

GREAT BEGINNINGS

Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I, and its said that she was his favorite child. She married her half-brother Thutmose II to keep the royal bloodline going. When he died, though, the throne should have passed to Thutmose III, his son by a lesser wife. But since the boy was too young, Hatshepsuthis stepmotherbecame regent. It seems that Hatshepsut enjoyed ruling so much that, seven years later, she decided to promote herself to pharaoh.

THE BEARDED LADY

M ost queens wear gowns and fancy jewelry to special court events. But not Hatshepsut. She wore a fake beard. Made from braided goat hair, the beard was positioned on the center of her chin and held in place by a cord that wrapped around her ears. It wasnt her personal fashion statement by any means. All the pharaohs wore them to symbolize their connection to the bearded Osiris, one of the most important Egyptian gods. In wearing the beard, Hatshepsut was saying, Forget that Im a woman. Im just like every other pharaoh.

When she was regent, statues and carvings depicted Hatshepsut as a woman. But after she became pharaoh, she was usually depicted in mens clothing. She even had statues made of her daughter Nefurure wearing male clothing, probably because she hoped that she, too, would one day be pharaoh.