検索キーワード： 制作 "Charles River Editors" 政治学・社会科学

Europe has had no shortage of military heroes, political geniuses, and towering intellects, but no ruler combined all those traits as successfully as King Frederick II of Prussia, whose feats in battle were matched only by his enlightened rule. Growing up with an ear for music and an eye for art, the prince who would have eschewed the art of war, nevertheless became one of the most adept and brilliant military commanders of the 18th century, helping to expand his kingdom's borders, while modernizing the state within.

The United States is the land of opportunity, and this was no truer than during the late-Colonial phase in North America. The men and women who came to the 13 colonies worked for everything they had and eventually broke away from the British when the colonists grew unhappy with the governance. Without the "Founding Fathers," this would not have been possible; the men who declared independence, ran the war effort, and created the government were exceptional individuals.

Paul Revere is one of the most famous Americans in history and one of the first that schoolchildren learn about. Although he is known almost entirely for his legendary midnight ride before the Battles of Lexington and Concord today, in colonial Boston he was praised for the quality of the silver he made, and he was known for being one of the patriotic Sons of Liberty and a militiaman. With 16 children, Paul Revere supported his large family by doing everything from dentistry to casting church bells and engraving the most popular image of the Boston Massacre.

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence on May 3, 1469, as Florence was undergoing its transition into the Renaissance, guided by the Medicis. Machiavelli was a public servant during the Republic, losing his office when the Medicis returned to power. Despite that, Machiavelli dedicated The Prince to the ruling Medici of the time, leading some today to still speculate whether the book was a satire.

The fearsome Kim regime of North Korea, though not lasting for centuries, has become one of history's most controversial bloodlines, not without cause. This is why Kim Jong-Un, the baby-faced 30-something with the bizarre flat-top seated at the throne today, is an object of such fascination. The world watched as the keys to the sinking ship were passed down to the young Kim, hoping for the state's long-awaited metamorphosis, but as it turned out, this young man could be far more erratic and inflexible than those came before him.

By the time Theodore Roosevelt died in 1919, he was an American icon. Today, Teddy is remembered for being an explorer, hunter, author, soldier, president, and safari adventurer, all of which combine into one unique reputation. As with all legends, Roosevelt is often portrayed more as a quintessential man's man, to the point that the legend obscures the actual man. History in 30: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt provides a quick but comprehensive look at the life of the famous president.

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Americans have long drawn inspiration from figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and many others; one figure has stood out from the rest. Many of the Founding Fathers were either born into wealth or became independently wealthy, but one poor farmer's son used his wits and determination to become arguably the greatest president in American history. Abraham Lincoln's life story has become an inspiration to many. History in 30: The Life of Abraham Lincoln provides a quick but comprehensive look at the life of the 16th president.

For all of his accomplishments, Jefferson's reputation and legacy are still inextricably intertwined with the divisive issues of his own day. As the slaveholder who wrote that all men are created equal, and who had a relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemmings, Jefferson's life and career are still sometimes fiercely debated today. History in 30: The Life of Thomas Jefferson provides a quick but comprehensive look at the life of the famous Founding Father.

What is the American Dream? Depending upon which period a person is referring to, the American Dream can shift somewhat with the changing tides of history. During the Colonial Period of the country, the United States was a bustling set of colonies, promising a second chance to all people who dared travel to her shores. The men and women who founded the United States wanted freedom from their past lives and saw the 13 colonies as their way to start over.

The story of Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys is one of those delightful tales that American schoolchildren hear about in school, but it is also one that is much more interesting to listen to in older age. Unlike revered founding fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who came from Virginian plantations, Allen was a rough and tumble frontiersman, more likely to fight than talk. And yet, he was in no way a dullard, but instead as well-read as many of his contemporaries and more so than the average man of his day.

Porter Alexander spent 1861 as an intelligence officer, and he served as part of a signal guard, but he soon became chief of ordnance for Joseph Johnston's army near Richmond. Half a year later, Johnston would be injured during the Peninsula Campaign at the Battle of Seven Pines, after which he was replaced by Robert E. Lee. Over the course of 1862, Porter Alexander took on more roles in the Army of Northern Virginia's artillery branch, particularly under James Longstreet's 1st Corps.

A little more than 100 years ago a Mexican peasant named Emiliano Zapata gathered a rural army from the plantations and villages of southern Mexico, seized the lands of the haciendas, and began to distribute them among the peasants of Anenecuilco, his hometown, in the state of Morelos. Outraged and impatient with the ceaseless destitution of the indigenous peoples at the hands of the landowners, he had decided to take justice in his hands.

John Adams was one of his country's seminal Founding Fathers and one of its most experienced, distinguished diplomats and politicians. Few men in American history have a record anywhere near comparable, but one of them happened to be Adams's own son, John Quincy Adams. And yet, few Americans are familiar with him aside from the fact that he was his father's son and the sixth president of the United States.

Ironically, one of the generals who often escapes the attention of Civil War fans who compile the lists of best generals is the man who won the war's most famous battle, George G. Meade (1815-1872). In fact, Meade has become a perfect example of how the generals who did not self-promote themselves and write memoirs after the war had their reputations suffer in the ensuing decades.

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most famous Americans in history and one of the most important men children can learn about. The life and legend of Dr. King have been told to every American, many of whom come away equating King with the civil rights movement as a whole, but King's life was about far more than leading movements and having dreams. History for Kids: The Illustrated Life of Martin Luther King Jr. humanizes the leader who constantly sought to better himself and desperately wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.

Reagan's name is still relevant in American politics today, with every politician with an R next to his or her name trying to claim Ronald Reagan's conservative mantle. In the Republican presidential nomination debates in 2011, Reagan's name was invoked an average of over five times per debate, more than every other president combined. Meanwhile, Americans of all stripes continue to debate the merits of "Reaganomics" more than 30 years after Reagan was elected.

Before July 3, 1863, George Pickett was best known among his comrades for finishing last in his class at West Point, being a jocular but courageous soldier, and his carefully perfumed locks. As part of West Point's most famous Class of 1846, Pickett was classmates with men like Stonewall Jackson and George McClellan, and despite his poor class standing he distinguished himself fresh out of school during the Mexican-American War.

From his Mormon faith to his governorship of the very blue Massachusetts, Mitt Romney has left many on the right wondering whether he possesses the traditional conservative values that they deem necessary, even as he has spent two straight Republican primary seasons burnishing his conservative credentials. On the other side, Romney's political career and ideology have led to charges by Democrats that he's a flip-flopper who will take whichever side of an issue is politically expedient at the time.

Throughout history, a countless number of historical figures have had their lives overshadowed by the myths and legends that surround them to the extent that their legacy comes to define them. In French history, this is truer of Marie Antoinette than just about everyone else. Nearly 220 years after she was put to the guillotine, Marie Antoinette is more famous than ever, fairly or unfairly coming to epitomize royalty and everything that was wrong with it.