You Did What?: Mad Plans and Incredible Mistakes

Bill Fawcett

Oct 2009 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

This is a fun book, even though it's not really new. It plots some of the great errors in history, from the Trojan Horse to New Coke, occasionally meditating on the effects of those errors. For example, was the Russian Revolution given an assist by a young Winston Churchill? Was No, No, Nannette really worth 86 years to the Red Sox? And why on Earth didn't Nixon burn the tapes? The chapters are short, and most of the stories are familiar, from William Harrison's rejection of a topcoat to the careless captaining of the Titanic. Enjoy....

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Interesting, although a little heavy going in places

About the author

Bill Fawcett is the author and editor of more than a dozen books, including You Did What?, It Seemed Like a Good Idea..., How to Lose a Battle, and You Said What? He lives in Illinois.