"When two supremely powerful political rivals lock horns in a clash of personality and ideology, they can change the course of human history. Great Rivals in History brings to life the drama of history s most vicious political and military feuds, ranging through centuries and across the globe. Rivalries have sparked some of the most dramatic episodesin the history of the world, and twenty-five of these are recreated here, among them the lethal feud between ruthless power-seeker Julius Caesar and populist politician Gnaeus Pompey; the dynastic and religious clash of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots; the differing visions of nationhood that polarized Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong; and the bitter antagonism of John F. Kennedy and Richard, estranged friends wrenched apart by ambition and party loyalties. Impeccably researched and utterly compelling, this book profiles a remarkable cast of implacable foes, and reveals how their tug-of-war over ultimate power and glory shaped the wider history of the world."