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Description
From Marco Polo to "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, famous people have made mistakes so monumental that they could never escape them, no matter how brilliant their successes. The text contains mild sexual references and violence to animals.
Quick Summary
Ever wish history books would just tell you about the times famous people totally messed up? That's exactly what this book does Georgia Bragg profiles a bunch of big-name figures (explorers, athletes, inventors, and more) and dives into their most embarrassing, ridiculous, or catastrophic failures instead of their usual greatest-hits stories. The humor is what makes it stick: quick chapters, punchy writing, and the kind of trivia that makes you want to share it immediately, which makes it a winner for reluctant readers or kids who think regular history is boring. It's also surprisingly educational because you end up learning a ton about these people and the eras they lived in while laughing at their missteps. Parents should note there are some mild references and moments of animal violence scattered throughout, so younger middle-graders might need a heads-up. If you enjoy this, Bragg's other book "How They Croaked" takes the same comedic approach but focuses on how these famous figures actually died equally gross, equally fun.