10 Mistakes That Changed History: The Reckless Rulers, Monumental Mishaps and Disastrous Decisions That Have Shaped Our World.

by Paul Coulter

We all make mistakes, but rarely do they change the course of human history. From break-ups that ended empires to naps that sank ships, 10 Mistakes That Changed History is the hilarious retelling of some of the greatest episodes in the story of humankind.



Looking at many of the biggest characters and events of the last two and a half thousand years, from Cleopatra to the sinking of the Titanic, historian and comedian Paul Coulter explores how, despite the glamour, entourages and deity-sized egos, historical turning points were often the result of very human errors.

Blending history, storytelling and comedy, 10 Mistakes That Changed History is history as you wish you had learned it back at a greatest-hits of bad leadership decisions, misguided acts of heroism and catastrophic lapses of judgement.

These are the stories that have shaped our world, all with monumental consequences. Because sometimes it's nice to know that, no matter how bad your day is, the greatest names in history stuffed up too.
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Praise for the hit live
Top pick of the Edinburgh Fringe 2024, credited as one of the best shows by Scottish Herald, Mervyn Stutter and the Edinburgh Reporter.
Theatre Weekly “So engaging and entertaining that forgot I was there to review it”
Edinburgh Reporter “Entertaining and informative”
Corr Blimey “The perfect balance between entertaining and educating"
Glam Adelaide “Coulter cleverly weaves the well-researched facts with modern day parallels; turning historical figures into relatable misfits”
Edinburgh Fringe Review “Coulter’s storytelling unmatched, and his references to current pop culture relevant and hilarious”
LondonTheatre1 “Infectiously charming”
On the Record “A hilarious blend of storytelling, facts and comedy”

Genres: Nonfiction, Historical, History

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2025

Reviews

[Emma Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like the shows the writing is so clever, engaging and hilarious! I learned so much fun facts as well as has a good chuckle over some of history’s biggest mistakes!

[izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this made my history living heart so happy

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting but I don't think some of these could be classed as "mistakes".

[Clare Laudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a minute to get into this and then I absolutely LOVED it. The perfect book for history nerding, and one of my favourite books of 2025 📚

The format is so clever in looking at 10 different characters in history (rather than one long non-fiction book about one person). I’ve learnt so many fun facts for pub quizzing and am determined to see the live show at the fringe 😍

Fingers crossed for a second book?!

[Heather McKay Guillemot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author is a comedian in addition to a historian so there are teeny chuckles inserted throughout the text. Nothing to distract, but enough to give you an occasional smile.

Each chapter is independent so if a topic does not grab you , you may skip to the next with no loss of continuity.

This book is the sort that gives you topics you now want to learn more about in a deeper dive, I would look forward to reading more of his writing.

[Brandon Power · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, I felt that the list of 10 historical mistakes are fairly standard, none surprised me to be on the list.

On the other hand though, the level of depth on each topic was great and I definitely learned some things I didnt know.

[Elke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this kind of trivia

[Wondra Vanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

makes history accessible

[Crooked Eye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how factual the recounted stories are, but they're certainly entertaining.

[Emma Fedora · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Jenna Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining