I am personnally enthralled by the WWII and very interested in various historical figures, though I would not say that I like them or approve of what they did. For instance I am very interested in the French Occupation, Marshall Pétain and Laval, even though I do not stand by what they did.

Excellent point. There is a bold line between "interest" and "approval" that a lot of people seem to have trouble discerning. There is nothing worse than admitting that you are reading a biography about a less-than-popular historical figure, and then having to deal with the inevitable "You like [Insert Historical Figure Name Here?! But he was EVIL!" Ah, yes, I may agree with you, but isn't it good to understand why they were evil, what they did, so we can learn and perhaps avoid future catastrophes? Sorry for the mini-rant, just a pet peeve I suppose. World War II is a fascinating historical time period - so important and so relatively recent. It is as though all the other incidents throughout Western Civilization were just culminating towards that explosion. It seems the climax of human history - if world history were a novel, the credits could have fittingly rolled after V-Day.

Yes the interesting thing about WWII is the way one figure in each country can rise aboove the masses and be massively followed and acclaimed, almost deified. Hitler, Churchill, Pétain, De Gaulle....with the emphasis of course on the first.

It is somehow reassuring in a world where people have little belief or enthusiasm. And where the individual is lost in a virtual sea...like Internet. It is clear that that basic human nature seems conditioned to follow, and just occasionally someone special, for good or bad reasons, pops up to be followed.

Mine would have to be Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Katherine Howard, Queen Victoria and Pocahontas

For me it would have to be Queen Elizabeth I I love the Elizabethan/Tudor era (along with the Rococo era as my favorite time periods). I read alot about Elizabeth I and also I watched several movies and documentaries on her

Hi, all! Can I cheat and name the Marquis de La Fayette as my favorite, since he is not only a hero of the French Revolution, but also of the American Revolution?

Despite my deep love and respect towards Marie Antoinette, I have to say that Madame la marquise de Pompadour has always been more important and close to me. She's my rolemodel as a woman I'm aiming to be: culturally and politically sophisticated, with a deep understanding of court etiquette, sense of fashion and a very aesthetic way of living. I may be coloring her a bit too rosey, but I can't find many faults in her. She's simply everything I dream to be.

And, being a Christian, I would definitely say that Jesus Christ was, and is, my favorite historical character, idol and rolemodel. He's the one I look up to and honor everything I do.

Nice to meet a fellow believer, Jindalrae--I am also a Christian! It's awesome to know that we are members of a royal family ourselves--the family of the King of Kings!