More Lessons from History: Uncovering the colourful characters of the past

"Ribald, riotous and sometimes surreal, Alex Deane's dispatches from the forgotten corners of history bring heroes and villains roaring vividly and often poignantly back to life." – Gavin Esler

"Alex Deane's tongue-in-cheek tales of eccentricity and endeavour not only shed light on the obscurest parts of history; they teach us things we never knew about the present." – Suella Braverman, Home Secretary

"More rollicking tales of fascinating figures who should not be lost to history – told with Alex Deane's warm empathy, shrewd insight and glistening wit." – Lord Parkinson, former special adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May

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Welcome to another round of history's most absurd stories and the timeless lessons that come with them. In More Lessons from History, Alex Deane has unearthed yet more bizarre tales that you certainly haven't heard before. If you're wondering how large, flightless birds might organise themselves against a military regiment, how you should respond to the glare of an international rugby player whose glass eye you just knocked out, exactly why carrots are orange, or whether the world's worst-run battleship ever ceased firing upon her comrades-in-arms, then look no further.

In this second volume of his acclaimed series, Alex Deane reminds us that, throughout history, human nature has remained exactly the same, and the way that people responded to the most amusing, horrifying and convoluted of circumstances in the past can teach us everything we need to know about who we are today.

For even more lessons from history, check out Alex Deane's Hidden History Happy Hour podcast on Spotify, Google and Apple.