The first, and perhaps the greatest, commander of all was Alexander the Great. Still in his early twenties Alexander went on to conquer more of the known world than anyone before or since.

Julius Caesar, a scheming politician, used military power to dominate Rome. Massively in debt, he led his armies through a decade of conquest in a bid for wealth, glory and power.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a political and military genius who exploited the turmoil of revolution to become Emperor of France. He then used his command skills to conquer Europe.

Horatio Nelson is Britain's greatest naval hero. Though at times insubordinate and reckless, Nelson's professional skills and personal inspiration brought him uncommon successes throughout the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant worked in a store. Within four years he was commanding the Union Armies and within eight, he was President of the United States.

Following the Russian Revolution, Georgi Zhukov rose to become Stalin's deputy in the war against Hitler. Though and innovative, he was a single-minded soldier whose abilities helped turn the war around.