He wasn't always the greatest strategist and tactician, and he actually made a lot of mistakes early on. But George Washington was a leader unlike any other. In an age of small men who liked to talk, he towered over them with his quiet strength.

The secret of Twain's success was that he echoed and reflected a longing of all sorts of people. By evoking an earlier America, Mark Twain became the most popular voice in America.