Why was Tsar Ivan nicknamed 'the terrible'? Was King Herod really a child murderer? What happened to Pu Yi, the last Chinese emperor? This volume offers more than 75 stories of strange events, fascinating people, the twists and turns of fate and the sophisticated falsification of history.

Why was Tsar Ivan nicknamed 'the terrible'? Was King Herod really a child murderer? What happened to Pu Yi, the last Chinese emperor? In this informative, entertaining volume, you'll thrill to more than 75 stories of strange and amazing events, fascinating people, the twists and turns of fate and the sophisticated falsification of history. Relive the past with these entertaining stories from every continent - many more thrilling than anything the most imaginative author could invent. Some of the events in this book took place in ancient times, while others occurred as recently as the last generation. Read stories of murder and mayhem, of mighty struggles for power, of liars and devious deceptions, of mysterious disappearances and miraculous meetings, of magnificent women, outrageous rogues and brave adventurers. Find out how legends arose, the astonishing heritage left by our ancestors, how the fickle hand of fate can change the course of history and how brilliant inventions have transformed our lives.

1 Murder and mayhem
2 The struggle for power
3 Lies and deception
4 Lost and found
5 Women of the world
6 Truth and legend
7 Solving the mystery
8 Pushing back the frontiers
9 Rogues and adventurers
10 The legacy of our ancestors
11 Arbitrary acts of fate
12 They changed the world
*Index
*Acknowledgments.