cover image Who Wins? 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head and You Decide the Winner!

Who Wins? 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head and You Decide the Winner!

Clay Swartz, illus. by Tom Booth. Workman, $14.95 (104p) ISBN 978-0-7611-8544-4

Who would win in an air guitar battle, Harriet Tubman or Margaret Thatcher? This spiralbound book features 100 historical figures and 50 competitions, and with each spread divided into three sections, readers can mix and match competitors at will. The result is more than 100,000 hypothetical showdowns, a battle royal that stretches across human history in delightfully ridiculous ways. Would Charlie Chaplin’s background as the mischievous Tramp give him an edge over Ada Lovelace, “Enchantress of Numbers,” when it comes to sneaking into Area 51? Who would sell more Girl Scout cookies, Susan B. Anthony or Genghis Khan? The figures, pictured as video-game-ready cartoon avatars, are ranked in seven categories—wealth, fitness, wisdom, bravery, artistry, leadership, and intelligence—which, along with brief biographies and background facts, gives readers plenty of fodder to make their case. With no right or wrong answers, there’s ample room for creative debate. Ages 8–12. (July)