This is a topic that comes up frequently amongst historical fiction lovers, but as a lover of historical fiction as well as an extremely amateur historian, I just can’t get enough of it.  My question for this week is: Who is/are your favourite historical figure(s)?  Why?

Here are some of my favourite historical figures:

• Julius Caesar.  His mixture of cunning on the battlefield combined with his impressive political savvy make me really appreciate him as both a man and the legend that he became.  When you read about it, his life essentially reads like an epic movie and it’s just plain awesome (aside from the whole violent death part).  Having the guts to order around the pirates holding you captive and seemingly always fighting with the smaller force and winning is pretty impressive.
• Hatshepsut.  I’ve always had a soft spot for strong female leaders throughout history, and the Iron Lady of Egypt is one of my absolute favourites.  She presided over a golden age with minimal military activity and a new resurgence in trade from her Punt expedition.  And she did all this in an extremely sexist society where she was never, ever meant to take the throne.  The more I read about her, the more I love her.
• Niccolo Machiavelli.  This is probably not the most popular choice, but having read The Prince I can’t help but admire his cunning.  His political theories ring true throughout history; having a background in Roman history certainly didn’t hurt his credibility.  And he presents them in a very concise way without adding in too much fluff like many of his contemporaries.

I could go on and on, but that wouldn’t be fair.  Now it’s your turn to answer the question: who is/are your favourite historical figure(s)?  Why?  How did they come to be your favourite(s)?