From coal mines to steam locomotives, from African intrigue to the drawing rooms of Paris, Sir Andrew Cook casts twelve colourful tales where historical fact meets the strengths and weaknesses of human nature. Drawing on his experiences as a British industrialist, his fascination for machinery, history and geopolitics, and his insights into human frailties, each story lights up forgotten corners of the 19th and 20th centuries with meticulous detail and wry insight. This expanded third edition features satisfying conclusions, extended narratives, and two new stories-including one risqué yarn blending history, fantasy, and human nature into a thrilling read.