San Antonio College Library

Lord Horatio Nelson, one of Britain’s greatest war heroes is best known as the man on top of a huge column in London’s Trafalgar Square. One of history’s most celebrated characters, his achievements are well known; the Battle of Trafalgar and the Nile campaign, as well as his extraordinary record as a commander and a leader of men. But what about Nelson the man? Polite English society was shocked when a batch of letters from Nelson to his mistress,...

Robert E. Lee lived from 1807-1870. The U.S. general gave the Army 32 years of his life and commanded the largest military unit of the Confederacy. In this Film Ideas video, explore Lee's early life, education, romantic life, and military career.

Born into a Bavarian bourgeois family, Heinrich Himmler became the driving force behind the indescribable crimes that made the Nazi regime so unique in modern history. An early henchman of Hitler's, Himmler turned a small gang of thugs into a monstrous pseudo-religious order and widely feared instrument of terror--the SS. As a compliant servant to his Führer, Himmler controlled an economic empire in which hundreds of thousands of slave workers were...

Napoleon Bonaparte lived from 1769-1821. In 1809, the Corsican was victorious in battle; helamented the loss of his best friend in battle. In this Film Ideas video, explore Bonaparte's early life, education, character,romantic life, military career, and role asemperor.

This feature documentary showcases Grant—the man, rather than the legend. Within ten years, Grant’s life takes a stunning turn from a father struggling to make a living to the general who won the Civil War. Grant would later become the 18th president of the United States. It was his early years that defined Grant. He was a man with no money and no prospects. In 1859, at age 37, Grant made a choice to free his only slave rather than sell him for...

To understand the essence of history, we must begin our journey from its root. Through this program, viewers will begin to build a deep and nuanced understanding of Chiang Kai-shek by studying the life of Charlie Soong-missionary, entrepreneur, pivotal political figure, and close friend of Sun Yat-sen-and the early years of three of his daughters: Soong Ai-ling, who would marry H.H. Kung; Soong Ching-ling, who would marry Sun Yat-sen; and Mei-ling...

The marriage of Chiang Kai-shek and Mei-ling Soong "connected the three big families, Chiang, Soong, and Kung, and formed an essential force in the political landscape of China in the modern age. It was also a prelude to the collaborations and conflicts that would play out among the family members on the political stage." Using that marriage as a key to understanding what follows, this program picks up the intertwined threads of the Chiang Kai-shek...

The author describes how, after working as a humanitarian around the world, he realized that he could do nothing to stop violence or prevent people from becoming refugees and soon joined the elite Navy SEALs, where he drew on his humanitarian training as he battled injustice.