The history books are full of heroes and villains … but what about all the idiots? Comedian and armchair historian Mikey Robins tells the astonishing story of human stupidity, one idiot at a time.

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein

History is full of heroes and villains. But then there are the idiots. Idiots, Follies & Misadventures shows that human stupidity has always been our constant companion.

History tends to omit tales of human fallibility. We overlook the dubious and ridiculous contributions made by history’s tawdry parade of knuckleheads. But this book is a call to arms … knuckleheads assemble! And once assembled, prepare to be mocked. Just because history has mostly swept these idiots under the carpet does not make them by any means unsung heroes. These are rather ridiculous cautionary tales, to amuse and add some perspective to our current rash of stupidity. Tales such as:

• Why you shouldn’t soak your underpants in mercury.
• The booze cruise that plunged England into civil war.
• The Russian nuclear briefcase and pizzas.
• Flatulence jars and The Great Plague of London.
• The deadly green wallpaper that proved a problem for Britain's trendy middle-class.