The Book of Bastards: 101 Worst Scoundrels and Scandals from the World of Politics and Power »

Brian Thornton earned his BA in history from Gonzaga University and both his BAE (English) and MA (history) from Eastern Washington University. He is the author of 101 Things You Didn't Know about Lincoln, The Everything Kids' States Book, The Everything Kids' Presidents Book, and Teacher Miracles, and is the coauthor of The Middle East: The Nations, Their Histories, and Their Conflicts.

Move over, Benedict Arnold . . .Oh to be sure, America's first traitor is one of the 101 bastards you will find in this one-of-a-kind account of bad guys in Washington. But compared to some of the gross misconduct in this frighteningly funny history book, well, let's just say he's in good company. This page-turner of a potboiler reveals all the dirtiest little secrets readers never learned in history class. From illegitimate children (we thought Grover Cleveland was too boring to have sex) and illicit trysts (Warren G. Harding in the White House phone booth with his secretary) to turncoats (make up your own mind about Daniel Ellsberg) and traitors (General Wilkinson, aka a Spanish secret agent), you will discover all the dirt worth dishing since the founding of Jamestown.

The Book of Bastards—because what you don't know about the history of our great nation can make you laugh and cry!