Bad History: How We Got the Past Wrong - Hardcover

So much of what we know about historical events is based on generally accepted 'facts': Roman gladiators fought to the death; the Wild West was full of danger; the Wall Street Crash led to the Great Depression. But, history is, in fact, full of myths and misunderstandings that have become part of popular belief and wrongly coloured our understanding of historical figures and events. Each entry discusses the case for and against commonly accepted 'facts', and corrects what you thought you knew about history. Entries include: Was Captain Scott iconic or incompetent? Did Benito Mussolini make the trains run on time? Was the Suffragette movement responsible for securing votes for women in Britain? Was Caligula an insane tyrant and sexual pervert? Bad History provides a rigorously researched and entertaining read, perfect for any history enthusiast who wants to get their facts straight.

Emma Marriott is a freelance writer and editor whose previous works for Michael O'Mara Books include I Used to Know That: History, Bad History: How We Got the Past Wrong and The History of the World in Bite-sized Chunks.