Can't-Wait Wednesday: A History of the World in 51 Heroes and Villains

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read.

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A History of the World in 51 Heroes and Villains by Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook
Expected publication: September 10, 2026 by Bloomsbury Publishing

'The world's most successful history podcast ... Holland and Sandbrook have pretty much reinvented popular history for the modern age' THE TIMES

'The history publishing phenomenon of my lifetime' 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 supposed saints appear suspiciously traitorous, and so-called 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 Joan of Arc a saintly saviour or a dangerous heretic?

-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...

This book sounds right up my alley! It initially caught my eye because it's partly written by Tom Holland who's is already a favorite author of mine. Dominic Sandbrook is a new name to me but I can't wait to read some of his work now.

What book are you awaiting today?