Detailed in this book are sixteen events in history so traumatic that they changed the course of history by intimidating masses of soldiers, rallied armies for revenge, shocked the public into action, or left a lasting legacy of bitterness, hatred, suspicion that persists into today. Each one of these lives on in infamy and has left an indelible mark on history, changing the way millions of people think. Cummins' skilled research and instinct for finding disturbing facts and gory details is employed here to impressive effect, as he brings stories to life and revels their impact on the world, be it the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572 that pitted Catholic against Protestant for generations, the Holocaust Final Solution, or the My Lai Massacre - a necessary and compelling examination of the dark side of our history.