You Did What?

Description

History has never been more fun than it is in this fact-filled compendium of historical fiascoes and embarrassingly bad ideas.Throughout history, the rich and powerful, and even just the dim-witted, have made horrifically bad decisions that have had resounding effects on our world. From kings to corporate leaders, from captains to presidents, no one is immune to bad decisions and their lasting legacy. The fiascoes that litter our history are innumerable ... and fascinating in their foolishness. This witty collection of historical mayhem chronicles unwise decisions from ancient Greece to modern-day Hollywood and everything in between. Learn such lessons as:Never trust Greeks bearing gifts of large wooden horses.Avoid building elementary schools on toxic waste dumps, even those with sweet monikers like Love Canal.Rabbits multiply like rabbits Down Under.Even if you use brightly colored paint on the boats, it's quite easy to misplace an entire country's navy.With more than forty-five chapters of mind-boggling flubs and follies, fans of history, trivia, and those who just want a good laugh will adore this intriguing and fun read.

First Sentence

Some of the greatest stories in history have their basis in a combination of actual events and legends, where the blurring of the line between the two creates a sense of truly epic storytelling and of heroes larger than life who are nonetheless men (centaurs and gods excluded, of course).

Subjects

Other Editions

• You Did What?Electronic resourceHarperCollins2004-01-01
• You Did What?Harper Paperbacks2004-08-17
• You Did What?PaperbackHarper Paperbacks2004-08-17