Listen free for 30 days

  • History's Most Insane Rulers

  • Lunatics, Eccentrics, and Megalomaniacs From Emperor Caligula to Kim Jong Il
  • By: Michael Rank
  • Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
  • Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
  • 2.8 out of 5 stars (4 ratings)

One credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
Unlimited listening to the Plus Catalogue - thousands of select Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks.
No commitment - cancel anytime.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
History's Most Insane Rulers cover art

History's Most Insane Rulers

By: Michael Rank
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £6.79

Buy Now for £6.79

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Few mixtures are as toxic as absolute power and insanity. When nothing stands between a leader's delusion whims and seeing them carried them out, all sorts of bizarre outcomes are possible.

Whether it is Ottoman Sultan Ibrahim I practicing archery on palace servants and sending out his advisers to find the fattest woman in the empire for his wife or Turkmenistan President Turkmenbashi renaming the days of the week after himself and constructing an 80-foot golden statue that revolves to face the sun, crazed leaders have plagued society for millenia.

This audiobook will look at the lives of the ten most mentally unbalanced figures in history. Some suffered from genetic disorders that led to schizophrenia, such as French King Charles VI, who thought he was made of glass. Others believed themselves to be God's representatives on earth and wrote religious writings that they guaranteed to the reader would get them into heaven, even if they were barely literate.

Whatever their background, these rulers show that dynastic politics made sure that a rightful heir always got on the throne - despite that heir's mental condition - and that power can destroy a mind worse than any mental illness.

©2013 Michael Rank (P)2013 Michael Rank

What listeners say about History's Most Insane Rulers

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

No Reviews are Available
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Esmeralda
  • Esmeralda
  • 26-12-22

very interesting and novel

I loved it, especially when he mentioned some female rulers that were mad. I usually read several books a day this was moved to the first of the day in my list!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for B Parker
  • B Parker
  • 23-11-18

Excellent

I enjoyed this. It reminded that democracy is important even with all of its flaws.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for tyrone toney
  • tyrone toney
  • 06-08-18

Great book.

Great book. Simple to understand. Worth the listen. I only wish that they would do into more detail regarding the each of the people reviewed in the book.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Damont and Deidre Smith
  • Damont and Deidre Smith
  • 11-04-18

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this book. It had just enough information for me to learn about different rulerships. Amazing and crazy how some are put into leadership

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Edgar
  • Edgar
  • 10-02-16

Superficial

I should have expected it from the book's description and length, but this is a rather silly and ill-informed disconnected set of chapters. Spend your money elsewhere.