"What are the stories behind the men and women who have wreaked havoc in the name of wealth, power, and prestige? Is there any excuse for the actions of those who have been responsible for the deaths of so many? These sixteen fascinating biographies of the world's most notorious and dangerous people-including Attila the Hun, Vlad the Impaler, Queen Mary I of England, Ivan the Terrible, Hernán Cortés, Pol Pot, and others-provide a glimpse into their characters, influences, legacies, and incredibly deadly hearts. These are the stories behind the often powerful, always cruel, people who have landed on the wrong side of history-the dark side"--. Provided by publisher.

Alexander the Great (356 BCE-323 BCE) -- Julius Caesar (100 BCE-44 BCE) -- Attila the Hun (ca. 406-453 CE) -- Genghis Khan (ca 1162-1227) -- Tomás de Torquemada (1420-1498) -- Vlad the Impaler (ca. 1431-1477) -- Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) -- Queen Mary I of England (1516-1558) -- Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584) -- Elizabeth Báthory (1560-1614) -- Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) -- Queen Ranavalona I of Madagascar (1778-1861) -- King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) -- Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) -- Idi Amin Dada (ca. 1925-2003) -- Pol Pot (1925-1998).