Book excerpt: Politics gets personal. Rivalries have sparked some of the most dramatic episodes in the history of the world, and twenty-four of these are re-created here, among them the dynastic and religious clash of Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots; the jockeying for power and prestige played out by Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates; the differing visions of nationhood that polarized Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong; and the struggle between Adolf Hitler and Ernst Roehm for control of the Nazi Party, the outcome of which set in motion the ascendancy of the Third Reich. *When history’s titans clash in a bid to become the first among equals, their actions can affect the lives of millions. *Inside you’ll find twenty-four in-depth accounts of the greatest rivals in history. Incredibly researched and utterly compelling, Great Rivals in History provides rare insight into how politics gets personal, revealing the complex forces motivating powerful leaders who have been responsible for some of the most important decisions in history.