portraits of historical figures

No... It isn't a cut and paste job..
I am actually rather interested in which historical figure you admire and why... I want you to write details of what impressed you about them and if you could meet with them today what you'd ask them? or would want to say to them! I don't want to put down (most admire) since for fellow Muslims that we'd be of course our beloved prophet Mohammed (PBUH)...
so I made the topic more general and broad!

Whenever I finish a book I usually want to meet that person... recently I read a book about Khalid ibn ilwaleed and I think I understand what it means to have military genius not just war ethics or attributes that make a worrier chivalrous...

Another person whose life impressed me was Peter the Great of Russia.... but I would rather read your stories... Please don't limit yourself in categories and of course it can be men or women historical figures if you want to go for Dr. Apgar or Marie curie by all means --but just tell me what has impressed you!

I hope this isn't a repeat topic?
thank you for your time

I love "Road to Mecca" by Muhammad Asad..... I wanna meet him... (but unluckily he's dead..... Allah Yarhamuh)

Johnny Cash
He rode life hard and seemed to find happiness in the end. He always seemed to just know things.
I think I would ask him if I should remain a man in black or if it was time to find a rainbow.

El Hajj Malik el Shabazz
Uncompromising power and passion, unbelievable compassion and understanding.
I think I would ask him how to bring about the dream of a colorless world, in a world increasingly hateful and polarized.

Robert E. Lee
An unconventional thinker and a military genius who could have brought the North to its knees.
I think I would ask him what he thought about the progression of the South and American Politics in general since his death

George Washington
The father of the country I now serve.
I think I would ask him his take on American history

Niccolò Machiavelli
Incredibly insightful in politics and intrigue
What wouldn’t I ask him!

Edward the Black Prince of Wales
The blackest of names, a soldier from the age of sixteen till the day he died.
I think I would discuss the differences and similarities between antiquated and modern warfare

Salah al-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub
‘Nuff said
I would defiantly ask him his thoughts on the modern Arab and Muslim world and the advent of terrorism under the guise of Islam.

King Richard Coeur de Lion of England
A soldier for much of his life, a notable crusader, a notable lack of ethics
I would probably discuss warfare, politics and current events with him

King Leonidas Agaid of Sparta
King of the Spartans who lead them in battle at Thermopylae
I would defiantly want a lecture on the warrior spirit, fear and the brotherhood between men at arms

Sun Tzu
Writer of one of the most recognized military classics in the world
The field for discussion would obviously be very plentiful

I'd like to talk with Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Mahatma Ghandi and Albert Einstein about everything from civil rights to relativity, via a shedload of chocolate eclairs, because... why not? Also, Tex Avery and Walt Disney, because they are both absolute legends.

And Alfred Hitchock.

Salah al-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub
‘Nuff said
I would defiantly ask him his thoughts on the modern Arab and Muslim world and the advent of terrorism under the guise of Islam.

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Nuff said is right...:thumbs_up

Can't believe someone beat me to Robert E. Lee...anyway, a list.

1. Benjamin Franklin: A very interesting character who would probably have many thoughts on current world events.

2. Tasunka Witko, Crazy Horse: Mysterious person who was never photographed. Would be interesting to meet this guy for personal reasons.

3. Ronald Reagan: Yeah, I know. However, I've always been a big fan of this guy, imperfections and all.

4. Alexander the Great: To meet a person that arrogant...must have been something.

5. Julius Caesar: I'm a history guy, meeting Julius Caesar would be quite an event.

I concur with your whole list, especially Crazy horse and I add Tatanka Iyotanka (sitting bull) also of the Sioux, Apushmataha of the Choctaw and Hassan-i-Sabah of the Assassins.

Tatanka Iyotanka is a legendary leader of the Sioux who fought against Custer along with Crazy Horse at Greasy Grass (what most folks call the little big horn)

Apushmataha (he who’s tomahawk is equally killed in war or hunting) is the most prolific Choctaw chief in history.

Hassan-i-Sabah, Old man of the Mountain who founded the sect of Assassins, ironically would have a lot to say about the cowardice of modern day terrorism.

admired women anybody? Not that the above isn't an impressive list...
I appreciate all the replies I got by the way... thank you

Shakesphere, and give a right hook for every student he tortured with his work, or if I don't get to do that, I'll send dvds to evey student showing the clip he got punched in blackadder

^^^^ lol Akhi.......I think the operative word is most admire not most detest!
I am a little disappointed that no female historical figures have made it to the list........hmmmmmmn
Maybe I should start this?........
If anyone here has had a baby be they father or mother...then they would know one of the first things they test in the new born are the Apgar score which are tested at both one and five minutes...Standing for Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance, and Respiration. used world wide to assess the new born over all physical health......And we can have one lady to thank for that.......Dr. Virginia Apgar who was the first woman at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons to be named a full professor.
She was very avant guard in the field of Anesthesia which is fairly a modern field in Medicine..... I'd like to spend the afternoon with her having tea and discussing medicine back in her day as opposed to currently.

a second lady I'd like to meet with Elizabeth Kubler Ross the one who came with the five stages of grief...
Psychiatry thought interests me tremendously is the one field in medicine that I feel has potential to border upon quackery... and ironically she did lose her marbles at the end... which was just a couple of yrs ago prior to her death. (2004). she was holding séances regularly and unfortunately they closed several of her clinics because of that and I don't think her condition was discussed much outside of academia...
I want to know what drove her over the edge?

I'd also like to meet with Mark Rothko and ask him what he was thinking really when he painted and why he committed suicide? ....
And lastly Charles baudelaire and ask him if Poe's work influenced his in any way as I see much similarities between them!

Female historical figures...right, no reason to let sexism creep in here.

Joan of Ark
Ellenor Roosevelt(believe I spelled her first name correctly)
Cleopatra

May I ask why Cleopatra over Queen Hatshepsut ? Not that there is anything wrong with Cleo... but Hatshepsut had a much more impressive life.... plus provided the two obelisks that now adorn centeral Park and Washington... mind you she had them erected in less time that it too them to drag it across the park.....

PurestAmbrosia said:

May I ask why Cleopatra over Queen Hatshepsut ? Not that there is anything wrong with Cleo... but Hatshepsut had a much more impressive life.... plus provided the two obelisks that now adorn centeral Park and Washington... mind you she had them erected in less time that it too them to drag it across the park.....

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Probably because my favorite area of study throughout my college and post-graduate career was Greek and Roman history...the whole episode with Marc Antony and the politics with Rome is interesting to me. More a personal interest, not so much because she accomplished more than any other Egyptian ruler.