Reading recommendations: Historical figures the average Estonian should know

Shakespeare turned rulers and other powerful figures into drama with remarkable ease. Nearly half of his plays draw on historical characters, and his kings named Henry still feel strikingly modern when viewed across the playwright’s timeline.

Yet Henry V may not be the English king whose name comes first to the average Estonian reader. Dan Jones’s book, “Henry V: The Astonishing Rise of England’s Greatest Warrior King,” could help correct that. It offers a detailed and compelling look at life in 15th-century England.

Henry’s reign lasted less than a decade, but he understood how to use his time. The book’s background, including what came before and after his reign, helps explain why and how he did so. The reviewer describes it as suitable for both experienced history readers and beginners. Shakespeare, meanwhile, tells the story in his own way and remains worth reading.

Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome’s most impressive emperors, never reached Shakespeare’s pen. He apparently had no need of it, having written himself into history through his words, the Pax Romana and the stories surrounding his reign. He can seem like the perfect emperor.

Many works have also been written about and by Marcus Aurelius. Donald J. Robertson’s “Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor” approaches him from a more Stoic perspective. A figure as prominent as a great column can be viewed in every light and from every angle, the review says. Marcus Aurelius’s life and achievements allow for many interpretations, and this book offers one worth reading and considering.