A brilliant compendium of Britain’s most renowned heroes from Boudicca to Mandela, illustrated by Martin Rowson.

Heroes have flaws, but their stories stir the soul. In Gimson’s Heroes, bestselling author Andrew Gimson traces the lives of fifty astonishing individuals who had the courage to defy conventional wisdom.

From Horatio Nelson disobeying orders to Lord Byron scandalising polite society; Grace Darling rowing through a deadly storm to Florence Nightingale teaching the British how to nurse – these icons are no mere monuments of history, but living, breathing people of daring and defiance. Here are stories of resolve and sacrifice: Wallace Hartley plays on as the Titanic goes down, Noor Inayat Khan refuses to flee from occupied France, Stan Hollis storms an enemy pillbox and Nelson Mandela brings down the white regime in South Africa.

A hero, Gimson concludes, is someone with the courage, originality and genius to see what must be done – and to dare to do it, no matter the cost. Complemented by Martin Rowson’s uniquely charming illustrations, Gimson’s Heroes is a witty, fascinating and lively celebration of the extraordinary legacies of those who went further than most would ever dream.