In 1914 a train pulled into a provincial British railway station. The porter, a curious chap, asked the regiment of soldiers where they were from. 'Ross-shire,' one called down, but the porter heard 'Russia'. And so began a rumour that led to Germany losing the First World War.Often the history we learn at school is only half the story. We hear of heroic deeds and visionary leaders, but we never hear about the people who turned up late for court and thereby changed the law, or who stood in the wrong queue at university and accidentally won a Nobel Prize.The Great Cat Massacre: A History of Britain in 100 Mistakes demonstrates that the nation is as much a product of error as design. Through chapters on religion, law, culture, war, science and politics, it reveals such things as how an edict from Pope Gregory IX helped spread the Black Death, how the sister of cricketer John Willes invented overarm bowling, and how, had a letter not been lost, Disraeli might never have become prime minister.This book is history told through human failings, schoolboy errors, bad luck and extraordinary consequences; a history of mishearing, misdiagnosis and misinterpretation - a history that you won't find in the textbooks.

A chronologically arranged compendium of some of history's biggest mistakes. Chapters include: Humankind domesticates plants and animals, Choosing Caligula as Emperor, the Pope excommunicates Martin Luther, Hitler invades the Soviet Union, the Vietnam War, and Repealing the Glass-Steagall Act.

The author of Guinness's two books of military blunders from all periods of history presents a corresponding survey of naval incompetence, focusing on the misjudgements and oversights of captains, fleet commanders and strategic planners from Roman times to the Falklands War. omissions of sailors of every rank, the book incorporates failed amphibious operations, avoidable submarine disasters and naval aviation disasters. Case studies at the end of each chapter provide analysis of what went wrong in key battles and campaigns such as Navarino, Tsushima, Gallipoli, Jutland, Midway and Leyte Gulf.

“Simon Webb’s eminently readable book may draw gasps of horror, disbelief, or disdain . . . a mind-blowing and fascinating journey through history.” —On: Yorkshire Magazine All nations and peoples have a body of legendary tales and semi-historical episodes which explain who they are and help to define their place in the world. The British are no exception, and in this book, Simon Webb explores some of the most well-known episodes from British history; stories which tell the British about themselves and the country in which they live. Examining these events in detail reveals something rather surprising. In every case, the historical facts are greatly at variance with what most British people think that they know about such things as the Battle of Waterloo, Magna Carta, the suffragettes, and so on. Indeed, in many cases the reality is precisely the opposite of what is commonly believed. For example, the Battle of Waterloo was not a victory for the British army, Magna Carta did not set out any rights for ordinary people and the suffragettes delayed, rather than hastened, the granting of votes for women. This book shows that much of what the British believe about their history has been either grossly distorted or is just plain wrong; revealing some of the misconceptions which are held about famous incidents from the nation’s past. In each case, the truth is far richer and infinitely more interesting than the version learned by schoolchildren. These myths, for that is what they essentially are, reveal as much about the way that the British people like to see themselves now as they do about what happened in the past.