One of the best diaries ever.  I remember learning of Karski in my history class.  Incredible human being.

I have more heroes than I can count.  I always admired my grandfather, who fought in the South Pacific, for not caring about the fact that he was a veteran.  He didn't want medals or ceremonies -- just to go home and move on.  He hates war and has opposed every US war since WWII, saying that everything after the second war was unnecessary and stupid (I agree).

Keynes is, of course, a great hero of mine, not because of anything particularly heroic in terms of war and peace, but because of his ideas and his optimism about mankind, and his commitment to ending the world's major economic problems.  His stand against public opinion for Germany -- opinion which he later helped to turn around -- after WWI, and his blistering attacks against the American, British and French leaders at Versailles remains something I admire greatly.  History might have been less bloody if others had listened to him.

Having now read more about him, Lord Dowding places high on my list, because of his critical role in the Battle of Britain and (by extension) the larger war.  The American government had given up and assumed London would fall.  Dowding proved them wrong in winning what has got to be one of the most incredible battles in human history.  Had the RAF lost, America might have never joined the fight.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.