We have all seen them. The large statues of - what is typically - an impressive looking man, riding a horse, while gazing into the distance. It’s not uncommon for these statues to also have a sword in their hands, raised in a carefully chosen direction.
They can be found in cities all over the world, and most of the populace tends to take these monuments for granted.
After all, they are memorials for familiar faces, both from childhood stories and history textbooks; all heroes that brought glory to their land.
With examples like Alexander the Great, Lenin, Vasco da Gama, and Martin Luther, Ari Turunen’s book tells a different story about the achievements of these people.
Here it’s made clear, these men are not so much the heroes of the people as ruthless leaders, all of which have one thing in common – there was no point disagreeing with them.
The more someone has conquered, subjugated and killed, the more likely he is to have a statue erected after him.
The great men and heroes of one nation are usually a neighboring county’s greatest enemies.
Ari Turunen is a Finnish Lic.Soc.Sc and has worked as the science editor for various organisations and media for 20 years. His books tell a lot on European and Western culture revealing in a hilarious way why we behave like we do. He has made lots of presentations and lectures on cultural history and world views at Finnish universities and for the Finnish Broadcasting Company.
Fyll i dina uppgifter och skicka så återkommer vi!