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A History of the World in 51 Heroes and Villains
The rip-roaring new book from the hosts of The Rest is History
Brief Description
'I am a helpless, devoted, pathetic fan. So is everyone I know' JAMES MARRIOTT, THE TIMES'The history publishing phenomenon of my lifetime' ROBERT COLLS, NEW STATESMANFrom the award-winning podcast The Rest is History and Sunday Times bestselling authors Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook comes a riotous...
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A History of the World in 51 Heroes and Villains
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See moreThe multiple Sunday Times bestselling brand and creators of the #1 podcast sensation return with a hilarious deep dive into history's biggest heroes and most infamous villains
The multiple Sunday Times bestselling brand and creators of the #1 podcast sensation return with a hilarious deep dive into history's biggest heroes and most infamous villains
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Description
'I am a helpless, devoted, pathetic fan. So is everyone I know' JAMES MARRIOTT, THE TIMES
'The history publishing phenomenon of my lifetime' ROBERT COLLS, NEW STATESMAN
From the award-winning podcast The Rest is History and Sunday Times bestselling authors Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook comes a riotous deep dive into history’s biggest heroes and most notorious villains
Welcome to a shadowy realm where the divide between the noble and the nefarious isn’t quite as clear as it seems. Where saints can appear suspiciously traitorous, and scoundrels reveal unexpected glimmers of virtue. Prepare for sword fights, scandals and enough moral ambiguity to make Machiavelli blush – from the imperial court of eleventh-century Japan to the studios of twentieth-century Hollywood.
Along the way, Holland and Sandbrook debate questions like:
-Was Caligula an irredeemable monster or history’s favourite scandal magnet?
-Was Wojtek the bear a true Second World War hero or simply a cuddly mascot?
-Was Elizabeth I a true Virgin Queen or just brilliant at branding?
So polish your armour, don your villainous moustache and get ready to choose a side in the ultimate showdown between history’s greats and rogues...
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781037201509
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 10 September 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Illustration: 30 b/w illustrations (16.02.26)
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 36.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 232.0mm
Weight: 540g
Pages: 448
About the Author
Tom Holland is the author of a range of books on ancient and early medieval history. He has translated Herodotus and Suetonius, presented TV documentaries on subjects ranging from dinosaurs to the Islamic State, and been described by The Times as ‘a leading English cricketer’.
Dominic Sandbrook was educated at Oxford, St Andrews and Cambridge, and was an academic at Sheffield before becoming a writer. He is best known for his histories of Britain since the 1950s, most recently Who Dares Wins, as well as a series of history books for younger readers, Adventures in Time. He has presented many documentaries on BBC Two and Radio 4, and is a columnist for The Times and book critic for the Sunday Times.
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