Breaking away from history as told through the lens of kings, queens and nobles, this book instead lifts the lid on 24 fascinating stories of little-known underdogs, mavericks, trailblazers and oddballs. Through these stories you will meet characters such as:

The Chevalier d'Eon–a fencing master, spy and diplomat who came out as a woman in 18th-century London

Ellen and William Craft–a married couple who made a daring escape from slavery in the American south

Peter the Wild Boy–a child found living in the woods in Germany who was taken to the royal court in England

Caroline Herschel–the first British woman to be paid for scientific work, and a discoverer of comets

William Buckland–the man who wrote the first account of a dinosaur–yet who also ate the heart of a French king

Eleanor Rykener–a gender-bending sex worker from medieval England who spilled juicy gossip about her clients in the clergy

Juliana Popjoy–a society beauty who lived in a tree for years

Paul Robeson–athlete, singer, actor, polyglot, activist... and handsome to boot

The Rebecca Rioters–a roving crowd of Welshmen who destroyed tollbooths dressed in skirts and bonnets.