re: Napoleon has to be the most interesting figure in history.

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We know about him from people that wrote stories long after his death. It's mostly fiction

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So brave

Genghis Khan

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interesting take

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The thread is about interesting people.

Thomas Jefferson

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The thread is about interesting people.

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It's objectively absurd to list two confederate generals as the second and third most interesting figures in history given the figures from the dawn of time until the civil war.

Jesus
Da Vinci
Tesla

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Absolutely nothing interesting about him at all. Born into Virginia royalty, went off to West Point to pursue a military career like his father before him, succeeded at everything he did within the army, and rose to major command in the Civil War just like his father had before him in the Revolutionary War. His entire trajectory was preordained just based on his status as a scion of the planter class and his career in the Army.

Meanwhile Napoleon rose from impoverished origins to become emperor of the French as well as one of the greatest military commanders in the history of the world. By the by, French was his second language. He didn't start learning to speak it until the age of 10.

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Robert E. Lee is one of the most fascinating and complex figures in American history, regardless of how you feel about him. On one hand, he was a brilliant military strategist,his ability to outmaneuver much larger and better-equipped Union forces is still studied in military academies today. He had a reputation for inspiring loyalty in his troops, and his battlefield tactics, especially early in the Civil War, made the Confederacy far more formidable than it should have been.

He was a deeply principled man, known for his sense of honor and duty. He supposedly opposed secession and slavery on a personal level, yet he chose to fight for Virginia and the Confederacy rather than remain with the Union. That internal conflict, whether genuine or overstated by later historians, adds a layer of complexity that makes him far more than just a standard historical villain or hero.

Then there’s the post-war angle, unlike many other Confederate leaders, Lee urged reconciliation and discouraged continued resistance. He lived his final years quietly, trying to help rebuild rather than stoke further division. Whether you admire him, despise him, or land somewhere in between, it’s hard to deny that he’s one of the most compelling figures of the 19th century.

In the Mexican war. One of the most fascinating things about Lee in this war is how he played a key role in some of the biggest American victories, especially at battles like Cerro Gordo and Chapultepec. He was instrumental in finding ways around enemy positions, helping U.S. forces outflank Mexican defenses in ways that turned the tide of battle. Scott even called Lee “the very best soldier I ever saw in the field.” That’s pretty high praise coming from one of the most respected generals of the time.

He finished 2nd at West Point (a slight knock not finishing first) but never had a demerit which especially in those days was almost unheard of.

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I was joking around adding Stonewall Jackson, albeit, he is interesting.

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Undoubtedly, and in that case I'll lay off you now

Samuel Clemens. Very interesting life.