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How They Choked: Failures, Flops, and Flaws of the Awfully Famous Paperback – June 7, 2016

by Georgia Bragg (Author), Kevin O'Malley (Illustrator)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 220 ratings
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The team behind the bestselling How They Croaked shines a light on the darker sides of history’s most famous failures, perfect for reluctant readers!

Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, epic failures even lead to super successes . . . sometimes they become deep dark secrets. But remember--to fail is human, to laugh about our shortcomings divine. From Montezuma II’s mistaking a conqueror for a god to Isaac Newton turning from science to alchemy to J. Bruce Ismay’s jumping the lifeboat line on the Titanic, How They Choked knocks fourteen famous achievers off their pedestals to reveal the human side of history.

Successful "failures" include: Marco Polo, Queen Isabella of Spain, Montezuma II, Ferdinand Magellan, Anne Boleyn, Isaac Newton, Benedict Arnold, Susan B. Anthony, George Armstrong Custer, Thomas Alva Edison, Vincent van Gogh, J. Bruce Ismay, "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, Amelia M. Earhart

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 14 years
  2. Print length
    208 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Kindergarten and up
  5. Dimensions
    9.75 x 0.8 x 9.95 inches
  6. Publisher
    Bloomsbury USA Childrens
  7. Publication date
    June 7, 2016
  8. ISBN-10
    1681192160
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1681192161
  10. See all details
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They Lost Their Heads!: What Happened to Washington's Teeth, Einstein's Brain, and Other Famous Body Parts
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“An insightful, informative narrative explaining how these individuals earned a place in history, including both their accomplishments and embarrassing and sometimes-tragic failures . . . Readers will be entertained and fascinated by the flawed humanity depicted within.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Written in a chatty style, full of wit and laugh-out-loud moments, this charmingly irreverent delivery of history is not only entertaining but packed full of lessons to be learned.” ―School Library Journal

“The snarkily entertaining narratives are illustrated with caricatures of each subject. For better or worse, subjects are rarely as one-dimensional as most biographies paint them, and this book proves that nobody is perfect.” ―Booklist

“A delightfully snarky look at the remarkable mistakes of a few of history's famous figures . . . If you have not already added How They Croaked to your collection, buy both it and How They Choked immediately. Read it yourself, put it on display--it will get passed around with (disgust) delight.” ―VOYA

“Offers caustically humorous insights into history . . . Irresistible entertainment (and solid information) for readers.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A delightfully informative, humorous, and honest look at some of history's well-known characters.” ―Library Media Connection

About the Author

Georgia Bragg is the author of Matisse on the Loose, a middle-grade novel. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and two cats. www.georgiabragg.com

KEVIN O'MALLEY is the co-author and illustrator of the popular Miss Malarkey series, as well as the New York Times bestseller Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share and many other books for children. He lives in Maryland.
www.booksbyomalley.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA Childrens; Reprint edition (June 7, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1681192160
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1681192161
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 14 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Kindergarten and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.75 x 0.8 x 9.95 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 220 ratings

About the author

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Georgia Bragg

Georgia Bragg

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Georgia Bragg has spent most of her life in California. Before becoming a late-blooming writer she was a printmaker, greeting card designer, painter, script supervisor, and storyboard artist. As a reluctant reader herself, Georgia now writes the kind of history books she wished she had while growing up. She believes writing nonfiction is like dancing with one foot in cement; you need jazz hands and one very busy foot. Sometimes Georgia avoids writing by playing tennis and rearranging the furniture. She is married and has two grown children and two cats.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
220 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Wolfie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book #2.
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
Again, very interesting and the author kept her sense of humor in this second book.
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Julie Ridlon
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2024
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I'd checked this book out of the library and loved the short stories.....most had facts I'd not heard before.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly funny
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
Love this book. Amazing, funny, educational, loves the historical events. Read this book in one sitting and I was mesmerized how good it is. Kudos to the writers a very impressive book. It is a good conversation book with friends.
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Nazareth U
5.0 out of 5 stars Best and Interesting book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very awome book, I got how they croaked off a yard sale and knew the author was a very good writer and always choose interesting topics so I bought all three. The book also arrived fast so that was cool.
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Cecilia DeLeon
4.0 out of 5 stars Recommend
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2015
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I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the first one better, but would recommend this book as well.
One person found this helpful
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Jennifer J Bailey
5.0 out of 5 stars Girls will live it too!
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
This author is amazing, and I love her humoured view on history and I also love that she writes for boys and girls. It's nice to have a female from modern times writing history!
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Diane Manzano
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product!
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
What can I say? I love this product. I use it everytime I do laundry. Clothes come out smelling fresh and clean.
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Top reviews from other countries

Alice K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very funny!
Reviewed in France on May 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
A good book. I've laugh and learn a few things!
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