Heroes and Villains: Inside the Minds of the Greatest Warriors in History

In the history of warfare, an elite group of men have attained legendary status through their courage, ambition, and unrivaled military genius. But many of these same men possessed deep personal character flaws. In Heroes and Villains acclaimed historian Frank McLynn focuses on six of the most powerful and magnetic leaders of all time: Spartacus, Attila the Hun, Richard the Lionhearted, Cortes, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Napoleon. How did these mortal men rise to positions of seemingly invincible power? What were the motives, the personal strength, or more often weaknesses, that drove them to achieve what no one else dared?

In six powerful portraits, McLynn brilliantly evokes the critical moments when each of these warriors proved his mettle in battle, changing their own lives, the destiny of their people, and in some cases, the history of the world. We discover what drove Spartacus to take on the might of Rome against seemingly impossible odds, and how the young Napoleon rose to power in dramatic fashion at the Siege of Toulon. Heroes and Villains is more than a collection of individual biographies. By examining the complex psychologies of these extraordinary men, McLynn builds up a convincing profile of the ultimate warrior.

From a gladiator to a renegade Conquistador to England's greatest warrior-king--six men who changed the course of history.

Frank McLynn has over twenty books to his name, including his acclaimed biographies of Napoleon and Richard the Lionhearted. His other books include Richard and John: Kings at War; Villa and Zapata; 1066; Heroes & Villains; and Napoleon: A Biography. McLynn is a graduate of Oxford and London University. He lives in London.