“History is full of dark, difficult moments. In many ways we are in such a moment now. It is the art of leadership in these moments that most interests me, and that features in this book. It is when times are hard, even desperate, that we often see unlikely people emerging as leaders, sometimes transcendent or important ones. This book deals with many shocking events, and in doing so it reflects the reality of our world. It does not attempt to escape or deny that reality by focusing primarily on the uplifting and cheery sides of history. The stories here do not always have happy endings. Rather, my goal is to get readers to confront the problems and challenges of our world head-on, once they have finished reading—and find inspiration in unlikely or surprising places. In looking honestly at leaders and leadership in history, this book aims to show readers that we are all living through history, and while we are products of the past, we are also the makers of the future.”

– from the Author’s Note of Warriors, Rebels, and Saints