Why we’re still in love with the toxic myth of the ‘Great Man’

The theory that history is defined by alpha males feels unfashionable and offensive – but we can’t let it go.

Antony Beevor

Nov 17, 2023 – 10.29am

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This month, Ridley Scott will release his epic biopic of Napoleon. As a study of power and ambition, Napoleon – the archetypal Great Man of history – has fascinated many directors, not least Abel Gance whose silent film of 1927 is often cited as the finest cinematic work ever made.

But with the academic tide turned so strongly against the Great Man school of history, you might struggle to find historians today willing to humour such a heroic narrative.

The Telegraph London