Snafu : the definitive guide to history's greatest screwups / Ed Helms.
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 for a deep dive 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 not only entertains but offers fresh insights that just might prevent history from repeating itself again and again.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781538769478
- ISBN: 1538769476
- Physical Description: vii, 280 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, New York : Grand Central Publishing, 2025
- Copyright: ©2025
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- 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 -- Skylab : the little space station that couldn't -- 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 -- 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 Hawai'ian 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.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- United States > History > Errors, inventions, etc.
Common fallacies > United States.
Available copies
- 20 of 20 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at McDowell County Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 20 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion Library | 973 HEL (Text) | 37810435835862 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
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 for a deep dive 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 not only entertains but offers fresh insights that just might prevent history from repeating itself again and again.
