<DIV><DIV><P>History is not created in a vacuum, and no leader comes to power without influences from the past and an impact on the future. In this look at ten royals, beginning with Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt and ending with Catherine the Great, each leader's biography is linked with another based on influences, events, and geography. By uncovering these unique and often overlooked connections, history emerges as a chain of patterns and relationships, and readers will understand how these ten leaders shaped the course of human civilization.</P></DIV></DIV>