SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups

by Ed Helms

From actor, comedian, writer, and host of the hit history podcast SNAFU, Ed Helms brings you an absurdly entertaining look at history’s greatest screwups, complete with lively illustrations.

History contains a plethora of insane screwups—otherwise known as SNAFUs. Coined during World War I, SNAFU is an acronym that stands for Situation Normal: All F*cked Up. In other words, “things are pretty screwed up, but aren’t they always?”

Spanning from the 1950’s to the 2000’s, Ed Helms steps in as unofficial history teacher with a loving tribute to humanity’s finest faceplants, diving into each decade’s craziest SNAFUs. From planting nukes on the moon to training felines as CIA spies to weaponizing the weather, this book will unpack the incredibly ironic decision-making and hilariously terrifying aftermath of America’s biggest mishaps.

Filled with sharp humor and lively illustrations, SNAFU is a wild ride through time that covers the hilarious, head-scratching, and occasionally inspiring blunders that have shaped our world and made historians spit-take They’re the kind of stories that not only entertain but offer fresh insights that just might prevent history from repeating itself again and again.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Humor, Audiobook, Historical, Short Stories, Comedy

288 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

Reviews

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is not the book i was expecting coming from ed

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the stories told here are history and news stories I've read about before, but the detail included in this book is more extensive that the news coverage I would have been exposed to at the time of their occurrence. The coverage in this book has the advantage of the perspective of time. The time period covered by these stories includes the 1950s through to the present. There are a total of thirty-four stories included here, so the book is sort like a book of short stories.

This book's title is designed to attract attention, but SNAFU and screwup doesn't necessarily apply to all stories cited. Some of them are just projects that didn't work out.

The following list of chapter titles are sort of descriptive, and if you're familiar with post WWII news you'll recognize some of them and wonder about the others.

PART I: THE FIFTIES
Atomic Energy Lab: An Enriching Radioactivity for the Oppenheimers of Tomorrow
The Chosin Few: More Than They Could Chew
Jimmy Carter's Nuclear Nuts
MKUltra: One Man's Mission to Trip America's Balls Off for Freedom
Mars Bluff Bomb
A119: Shoot the Moon--Literally!

PART II: THE SIXTIES
Project Iceworm: Even Without Iceman Missiles, We're in the Danger Zone
Acoustic Kitty: Can You Hear Meow?
Operation Popeye: Make Mud, Not War
Catching Fire on the Cuyahoga
Top Five... Failed Plots to Assassinate El Comandante

PART III: THE SEVENTIES
Silencio: Three Meteors, Two Lightning Strikes, and a Rocket from the
Neighbor Next Door
Project Azorian: A Sub Above
Pigeon Pals: Our New Eye in the Sky
Operation Snow White: A Fair Game of Espionage
Swinging Spies: The Koechers

PART IV: THE EIGHTIES
Operation Monopoly: Do Nyet Pass Go
Ozone: A Spray Tan for the Whole Planet
The Cola Cold War
Top Five. Bodacious Viruses That Bugged Us in the Eighties
Noriega's Nifty Package
Dark Dante: Banned from the Internet

PART V: THE NINETIES
Skylab: The Little Space Station That Couldn't
Snow Way! The CIA's Accidental Drug Shipment
Biosphere 2: Too Good to Be True
Keyboard Cowboys: Partners in Cybercrime
Beanie Breakdown: The Toy That Tainted the Nineties
Mars Orbiter: The Probe to Nowhere

PART VI: AUGHTS & ONWARD
Emergency Landing: The Little Hard Drive That Couldn't
The Millennium Challenge: Or, How to Rig a Game... to Lose It
Agent BTZ: The Early Bird Gets the Worm
The Hawaiian Missile Alert: A Drill, Not a Drill, Not Not a Drill
The Suez Canal: Largest Enema Ever Given
Top Five. Near Extinctions in the New Millennium

[Lauren | Wordsbetweenlines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love The Office so was thrilled to get a copy of this book.

I read this book as if Ed Helms was narrating it. I truly think the audiobook for this one will be so good. It’s witty, interesting and reads like a chat with that one friend that has wild stories.

Ed looks at major mishaps over the decades. Accidental bomb drops, hackers, beanie babies and spies all make appearances in this one.

A very clever non fiction.

Pub date: April 29

Thank you hachette for the copy 🤍🤍

[Tabitha - · Rating 5 out of 5]

History bores me, but this was well researched and funny!

[Jen Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Grand Central Pub & Hachette Book Group for the gifted copy!

This book is so cool! From the cover, to the formatting and then obviously all the incredible stories of history’s greatest screwups. All told by Ed Helms!! Does it get better-I think not.

I’m a big fan of The Office so when I saw that Ed wrote a book I was all in. It didn’t matter what it was about. However, I am pleased to say that this book of history is really fascinating. I love learning new things and it’s packed full of interesting information. It will keep your attention the entire time and have you turning the pages to see what happens next. It’s also a good conversation starter. And for the stressful times we’re in, it was nice to laugh. Ed has a podcast called Snafu so definitely check that out too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jeremy Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fun, but (intentionally I think) disjointed. Each chapter was independent of other chapters, and served as a collection of short stories in some respect. That being said, the stories themselves don't necessarily stand out or stick with you. Though fun and interesting in the moment, I do not think I could recall more than one or two of the stories without being prompted specificially.

[Michelle Skelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed Helms’s Snafu: History’s Greatest Screw-Ups was exactly the break I needed, light, funny, and still packed with fascinating historical vignettes.

Each chapter covers a different “disaster,” from the absurd, a child’s toy with actual uranium inside, to the darker corners of history, MK Ultra and Operation Midnight Climax. Helms’s narration carries his signature Daily Show/Office wit & I could practically hear his voice in the text.

He balances humor with enough research to make you pause and think, “Wait…that really happened?”

The strength of the book is in its vignette style.

Each story is just long enough to spark interest without overstaying its welcome. Some chapters blend together, but that feels intentional. This isn’t meant to be a definitive guide, more like a sampler platter of human folly.

In fact, I’d argue most of these episodes could sustain their own full-length history book, but that would be too much; the brevity is part of the charm.

The final chapter, covering more recent events, hit especially hard since I remembered many of them firsthand. The acknowledgments hint that a medieval edition might be in the works, and I’d absolutely pick that up. I wasn’t familiar with the Snafu podcast before reading, but this book has me intrigued to check it out.

Some readers may find the tone uneven — part comedy, part sobering history — but for me it worked. I came away with a list of topics I’d happily dive deeper into. A great recommendation for history buffs looking for something smart, quirky, and accessible.

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK✶REVIEW
#ad much love for my finished copy @grandcentralpub #partner

HISTORY’s GREATEST SCREWUPS

🫣😭😱🤦🏼‍♀️🫣

GUYS!! If there’s any book you read this year - please LET IT BE THIS BOOK! I seriously don’t know whether to shake my head, die laughing, or cry myself to sleep.

I mean if you still trust those in power after reading this - I just don’t know what to say - only that EVERYTHING IS FINE!

This is a comprehensive and well researched book that I fully enjoyed reading. It begins in the 50’s and goes through to almost current times. The writing is engaging and seriously so perfect.

While I knew some of these stories I didn’t know them to this extent. I’m just fascinated!

#grandcentralpub #SNAFU #books #bookstagram #book #booklover #reading #bookworm #bookstagrammer #read #bookish #booknerd #instabook #bookaddict #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookaholic #bookgirlbrown #reader #booklove #literature #instabooks #booklovers

[Maggie Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this one more if I cared about political and technology oops, but I don't so I slogged through snafu after snafu anticipating ones that I found more enjoyable like how TY Beanie Babies came to fame.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only want history taught to me like this from now on - concise without sugar coating, and a heavy dose of humor! Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this eARC!

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the title. However, I think the subtitle is totally misleading.
It should be something like A Guide to Modern American Screwups. There's nothing really definitive, historic, or greatest about the SNAFUs here.

[Larry (LPosse1) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups
4 stars

I’m not usually a big fan of podcast-to-book adaptations—they often feel overproduced and light on substance, like someone hit “print” on a script and called it a day. That said, SNAFU is a refreshing exception.

If you’re a fan of Ed Helms (aka the Nard Dog), you’ll enjoy the way he brings his trademark sarcasm, humor, and a few well-placed Andy Bernard references into some of history’s most epic missteps. The tone is light, the jokes land more often than not, and while the history itself didn’t cover a ton of new ground for me, there were definitely a few moments that surprised and stuck with me.

Bonus points for catching Helms live at the Chicago Humanities Festival this spring. He was hilarious and heartfelt, seemed to really enjoy himself—and yes, he appreciated my Cedar Rapids quip!

Overall, SNAFU is a fun, engaging read that stands out from the typical podcast-book fare. Definitely worth checking out, whether you’re into history, humor, or just a good facepalm-worthy story.

[Lisa_Book_by_Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a free copy of this book.

A casual and humorous look at some of biggest blunders in history.

The book is organized by decade and each story within that decade is its own chapter. This makes it easy to jump around to stories that interest you or to take a long chronological stroll through history.

The writing is funny and informal. It made topics I was unfamiliar with approachable but might disappoint die-hard history buffs as it's just a quick summary of these events. It's history as entertainment.

The photos included are stylized and serve as more of an aesthetic than a source of information, but the black, white, and red color scheme really pops.

Overall, it was a good time. I was able to pick it up and put it down as needed without losing any reading momentum. I think it would make a fun coffee table book and I'm planning to buy a copy as a father's day gift.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snafu by Ed Helms is a smart, sharp, and genuinely entertaining read that blends his signature humor with surprising depth. Helms takes readers on a journey through moments of personal chaos, weaving laughable anecdotes with heartfelt reflections on life’s unpredictability. His voice is relatable and sincere, making even the most absurd situations feel grounded in truth. Snafu offers a refreshing mix of comedy and history in over 30 mini histories. If you are a history teacher, this would be a great book to use with high school students.

[Jessica Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

SNAFU is a collection of terrible things the US government has done, written by Ed Helms and a team of researchers. He wrote it to show us that things are bad now but they’ve been bad before too, and we’ve always come out of it okay. And I have to say, the book really did make me feel better about things now, but also disturbed by how much of a bully America has been for at least the last 70 years. Here are some things I learned:
🇵🇦 America helped a dictator come to power in Panama, allowed him to send drugs into our country, then arrested him and installed a new leader when he wasn’t useful anymore.
🇬🇱 America dumped a bunch of nuclear waste beneath the ice in Greenland
💉 The CIA experimented with LSD on people in mental hospitals without their knowledge or consent.
🤨
Thank you for the gifted copy, Grand Central Pub! This one’s a keeper!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sad but hilarious story of history's greatest screwups. Several times, I would gasp out loud and laugh at what I was reading/listening. Some of this was far fetched but to know that it really did happen was wild! I listened while I followed along with Ed Helms. I really enjoyed his narration, and looking at the pages and pictures was a great combo. From the tootsie roll, to Coca Cola/Pepsi war, to cartels, and spies this was an eye opener book for me and I'm actually going to make my husband read it. Well researched and an entertaining way to learn a bit of history's screwups.

A very special thanks to Grand Central Pub and Hachette Book Group for the complimentary copy.

[Jazmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! I love Ed Helms & history, so I was excited for this one. His humor comes across so well in this! I learned a lot and laughed out loud, what more could you want?? I will definitely be checking out his podcast.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was unaware of the podcast that inspired this book, which is...interesting enough. Not really my taste in humour or general topic of curiosity, but it had its moments. I can see there being a happy audience for this material.

[Matt Mccann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this 3.75 stars. You'll like it more if you're a fan of American history and how we screwed up, comedy and The Office. If you don't like these things then this book isn't for you.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and sad, an American tag line. Situation Normal, All F**ked Up. This is was great! I love anything history and little stories of historical screw ups were interesting and often disturbing. - Listened to the Audiobook read by the author

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve heard most of these stories before, but I appreciated the humor.

[Colin K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very fascinating snafus, and some much less so

[Patricia Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright, but once I stopped listening to it, I had a hard time going back to it. It's not a book I would spend $ on.

[QuirkyTofurkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hilarious history of human blunders with a surprisingly poignant twist. As long as there are humans, there will be human error. It’s our legacy. Our love language. Our most reliable export. To err is to be human—and if you’re lucky, your screw-up might be so legendary that centuries from now, someone writes a book about it, and the world gets to point, laugh, and say, “Wow, that was dumb.”

Congratulations. Your future shame might just unite humanity in collective amusement. A true gift.

This book is packed with mishaps, mayhem, and magnificent idiocy, all served with razor-sharp wit and just enough existential dread to keep things grounded. And let’s be real: it is physically impossible to read it without hearing Ed Helms in your head. His voice practically leaps off the page, and honestly? That’s the best part.

So why the 3 stars? Visually, it’s not the prettiest book on the shelf, and I craved a deeper dive into ancient catastrophes. Surely someone in Pompeii said, “What volcano?” right before things got spicy. I want the guy who built the Trojan Horse garage door. The early cartographer who drew Australia as a large sandwich. The medieval scribe who misspelled a king’s name and triggered a decade of war. I want deep cuts.

Thank you for NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Ed Helms for the privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of this new books that looks at history from a different point of view, not a recitation of boring facts and figures, but a view of history featuring the crazy things that powerful people, and people who should have known better thought made sense at the time, and how they went wrong.

I have always loved history, something my public school education did its best to grind out of me. Until high school my history classes always started about the time Columbus sailed the ocean blue, up to World War II. Never veering, never changing. In high school we looked at Europe, a bit, but even that ended at World War II. At the time I didn't question it, but as I have gotten older it becomes apparent why. History is full of facts yes, however it is also full of disasters and bad things, many of them caused by people who should have known better, paid a little bit more attention, or stayed on TV as a reality star and not gone into politics. Toy companies selling unsafe toys. Bombs falling from planes, not in war, but by accident. Cat microphones. And this bizarre need by many in power to blow up the moon. Learning about the weird, the crazy and the frankly criminal acts conceived and executed by our government, well that might make us question things. Questioning things is not allowed by textbooks printed in Texas, so that's why the world is the way it is. Ed Helms gets this. As an actor, podcaster, and a guy who loves history, Helms understands that sharing the stupid things, the things that go wrong, is something not only fun and interesting, but patriotic. Only by seeing the bad can we see what this country is capable of doing. And righting the course we are on. SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups by Ed Helms looks at the American century, or so they called it, from the other side of history, highlighting things that went wrong, because of nature, science and human folly, and what we can learn from it.

The book is based on the SNAFU podcast, which takes its name from a common military term about how an operation, a mission, of just a quiet day in the military is like. The word is also in the dictionary as something that could be considered a snag, or an uncommon occurrence, in an otherwise smooth idea. Again like blowing up the Moon. The book looks at America from the 1950's when a child's toy can come with real radiation to play with, up until the 2020's. The chapters deal with military actions, nuclear bombs falling from planes, far more common than the government wants to admit. The intelligence world, with cats being used to spy on conversations, to the MK-Ultra program, and even seeding clouds during the Vietnam war, to make our troops even muddier. Beanie Babies and their effect on the economy. With much more. Each chapter is illustrated, and the endnotes are pretty complete to learn more.

I didn't know the actor Ed Helms was a history guy, though I have listened to him on a few of the podcasts I enjoy, and was impressed by how he seemed so nonplussed by the subject matter. The sections are podcast short, but complete, and again there is a really good bibliography to learn more from. Many of these will be familiar, but some are new, and Helms adds enough to make everything interesting. I was surprised at the writing, very smooth, with a good sense of pacing, and very informative. I liked the illustrations, a mix of clip art, industrial pictures and a bit of Drew Friedman caricature.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Perfect for people who wonder why we are we are right now. Just to show that we have always done bad things, stupid things, and no one has ever paid the cost. Especially in thinking that blowing up the moon made sense. Helms mentions another book being planned, I hope there is I am looking forward to it. That and listening to his podcast.

[Amber’s TBR Adventure · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✋ Emojis to describe this book: 👀🕵️‍♂️👨‍🚀🥤💾

Quick Intro: Helms combines his love of history with his love for comedy. SNAFU is a guide to history through the lens of some of the greatest screwups. He highlights misguided attempts at espionage, the Cola Wars, and space blunders.

Quick Thoughts:
I wish I had this book as an AP History student because it would have made for an interesting companion for researching papers. Although teenage me would have felt the need to wash my eyes out after reading two of the chapters (MKUltra and the Koechers).

I learned something new in almost every chapter. Helms provides a snapshot of history focusing on some of the most interesting moments over a period of 70 years.

It is abundantly obvious that this book only exists because of a colossal amount of work and effort from a team. The digital version I read included about 20 pages of source notes and references. Helms utilizes the acknowledgments to recognize the individuals who contributed to its creation. It’s also worth noting for those that choose to listen to the audiobook that there are some interesting graphics in each chapter but they aren’t source material rather visual interpretations of the stories.

The book is meant for adults with at times an irreverent attitude or somewhat explicit descriptions. I think for some it’s common knowledge what lengths individuals went to collect intelligence/ information, Helms presents those instances with a bit of humor and shock value.

Content Warnings: explicit content related to some aspects of history. May not be appropriate for younger readers.

Thank you, Grand Central Publishing, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. It made my history loving heart happy to read this one!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

SNAFU (Situation Normal: All F**ked Up) is a book about history's mess ups. The book is based on actor Ed Helms' popular podcast. Each chapter is a separate story of an historical mess up, mostly American, since the 1950s. The stories are presented chronologically starting in 1951.

To the stories Helms adds a veneer of light humor. Sometimes there's a chuckle, but sometimes the humor just isn't funny and feels forced.

Using the word "Snafu" has a light hearted feel. Histories goofs. Silly things that happened along the way to now. But there's no way some of these serious mess ups are in anyway funny (the CIA dosing American citizens with LSD). From the start, there is a discordance between the seriousness of the errors and the humor. Plus, some of these incidents aren't so much errors as decisions made in a different time and without the assistance of 20/20 hindsight. I'd agree NASA getting the math wrong is a "snafu" but the Church of Scientology infiltrating the IRS? Where's the mess up?

But it is an interesting story. And that's what this book is all about.

The writing is fine, you'll understand the stories. Helms writes in a conversational blog style. But Helms sometimes spins the focus to something more "clickable" - as in the story of Jimmy Carter. The former president wasn't part of the snafu, he was part of the solution. But name recognition gets you clicks online. But this is a book, not a blog. The spin diminishes the premise of the book.

If you love history, especially about the military, espionage and government, you'll probably enjoy the stories. They are little glimpses into the past.

[L.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

The combination of history and comedy worked for me. Many of the episodes included were familiar, but a few were new! Ed Helms has taken material from his popular podcast for this book so if you read and enjoy this version, you might also enjoy his podcast.

SUMMARY: From actor, comedian, writer, and host of the hit history podcast SNAFU, Ed Helms brings you an absurdly entertaining look at history’s greatest screwups, complete with lively illustrations.

History contains a plethora of insane screwups—otherwise known as SNAFUs. Coined during World War I, SNAFU is an acronym that stands for Situation Normal: All F*cked Up. In other words, “things are pretty screwed up, but aren’t they always?” Spanning from the 1950’s to the 2000’s, Ed Helms steps in as unofficial history teacher with a loving tribute to humanity’s finest faceplants, diving into each decade’s craziest SNAFUs. From planting nukes on the moon to training felines as CIA spies to weaponizing the weather, this book will unpack the incredibly ironic decision-making and hilariously terrifying aftermath of America’s biggest mishaps. Filled with sharp humor and lively illustrations, SNAFU is a wild ride through time that covers the hilarious, head-scratching, and occasionally inspiring blunders that have shaped our world and made historians spit-take They’re the kind of stories that not only entertain but offer fresh insights that just might prevent history from repeating itself again and again.

[Philip Cosand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful. Just what I wanted it to be.

The older I get, the more history stories I want to hear. But, y'know, all those stories about slavery can get ya down...

Enter hijinks! Which is what Helms' podcast is all about. People trying to achieve something when it all goes horribly awry. Like a protest heist. Or getting citizens to stop drinking during prohibition by poisoning their alcohol. Oh you wacky people. What shenanigans.

The book takes stories that are too short for the podcasts multi-episode arcs. Stories about using cats as listening devices. And a raven. And pigeons. Yarns about using giant claws to "secretly" retrieve submarines. Events that you think would go one way, then wildly go another. Beanie Babies!

It gets knocked down bit because this was clearly not written solely by Helms. We know he gets help writing the podcast episodes and he admits that many, many interns, writers, and researchers helped with this effort in his acknowledgements. Kudos to him for tipping the hat, but the credit should be shared on the cover as well.

I checked it out from the library and now I have to buy my own copy. I plan to revisit this book over and over. I am bursting to share anecdotes with folks around me. I will revisit this book. If they find enough stories for a second book, I will be there for that one too.

Weird and wacky true stories, told with excellent humor, and plenty of surprises. Yes, please.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing + Hachette Book Group for the gifted copy.


I'm a fan of Ed Helms, and when I saw the opportunity to read this, I was definitely stoked! I have always been interested in history, but I know that it can be boring to many people. This book makes it fun and quirky. It does cover the 50s to present day. What I like about the book is that it doesn't focus on just one part. It does jump around from one thing to another. It's a collective of history's screwups! The sections are also short reads before it moves forward, and so you're not stuck reading this entire chapter on one part of history. I think that a lot of people get bored to read chapters, upon chapter of history, and that is what gets to them. This gets straight to the point. I think that because it does get straight to the point, it draws you in more and wants you to learn more about the subject or time in history. Too bad, so sad, you're going to have to do more research on your own if you want to learn more. It's definitely worth reading! If you've got a history buff you know, this is a great gift!