My Name is Enmebaragesi of Kish: The First Recorded King of Mesopotamia I was born among the twin rivers—the Tigris and the Euphrates—where the soil was rich, and the gods watched over us closely. In my youth, the world was changing. The villages of mud and reed were becoming cities of brick and law. We learned to control the rivers through canals, and from the floods came abundance. The people of Kish looked to me, a man of strength and resolve, to lead them through the grow

My Name is Pompey the Great: Conqueror of the East and General of Rome I was born Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in 106 BC, into a family of...

My Name is Alexander the Great: Conqueror of the Known World I was born in 356 BC in Pella, the capital of Macedon, to King Philip II and...

My Name is George Washington: Commander, Patriot, and First President I was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia,...

My Name is Nabonidus: Last King of Babylon (r. 556–539 BC) I was not born to the throne like the mighty Nebuchadnezzar or his...

My Name is Benjamin Franklin: Diplomat, Inventor, and Colonial Leader Hello again. I told my story near the beginning of this book, but...

My Name is King Jehoiachin: Exiled King of Judah I was but eighteen years old when the weight of a kingdom fell upon my shoulders. My...

My Name is Étienne-François, duc de Choiseul: France’s Chief Diplomat I was born in 1719 into a noble French family whose roots reached...

My Name is King Josiah: King of Judah I was only eight years old when I was placed on the throne of Judah. My father, King Amon, was...

My Name is Joseph II of Austria: Holy Roman Emperor and Reformer I was born in 1741, the eldest son of Maria Theresa, Archduchess of...