The Pessimist's Guide to History: An Irresistible Compendium of Catastrophes, Barbarities, Massacres, and Mayhem-From 14 Billion Years Ago to 2007

"A tongue-in-cheek romp through the bleak house of history that most textbooks ignore"—now updated with even more appalling facts (Kenneth C. Davis, New York Times–bestselling author).

Fourteen billion or so years ago, the Big Bang exploded—and it's been downhill from there. For every spectacular discovery throughout history, there have been hundreds of devastating epidemics; for every benevolent despot, a thousand like Vlad the Impaler; for every cup half-full, a larger cup half-empty. Thi...