Mavericks

Life Stories and Lessons of History's Most Extraordinary Misfits

De: Jenny Draper

Narrado por: Jenny Draper

In her first book, popular TikTok historian J Draper uses her characteristic wit and intellect to introduce us to extraordinary figures marginalized by history, and the lessons we can learn from them.

Witty and engaging TikTok historian J.D. Draper digs out unusual stories of individuals that have shaped the world, and discovers the lessons their unique experiences can teach us.

Breaking away from history as told through the lens of kings, queens and nobles, this book instead lifts the lid on 24 fascinating stories of little-known underdogs, mavericks, trailblazers and oddballs. Through these stories you will meet characters such as:

The Chevalier d'Eon–a fencing master, spy and diplomat who came out as a woman in 18th-century London

Ellen and William Craft–a married couple who made a daring escape from slavery in the American south

Peter the Wild Boy–a child found living in the woods in Germany who was taken to the royal court in England

Caroline Herschel–the first British woman to be paid for scientific work, and a discoverer of comets

William Buckland–the man who wrote the first account of a dinosaur–yet who also ate the heart of a French king

Eleanor Rykener–a gender-bending sex worker from medieval England who spilled juicy gossip about her clients in the clergy

Juliana Popjoy–a society beauty who lived in a tree for years

Paul Robeson–athlete, singer, actor, polyglot, activist... and handsome to boot

The Rebecca Rioters–a roving crowd of Welshmen who destroyed tollbooths dressed in skirts and bonnets.

These poignant and often hilarious true stories show us that the world as we know it was built by a wider array of historical figures than we experienced in our schoolbooks.

©2025 Jenny Draper (P)2025 Watkins Publishing

Funny and interesting

Great presentation of interesting stories.

I had not heard of more than half these people, but I loved every story.

Performance of the Author was captivating

The reading by the author was very expressive without being overwhelming. The subject matter brings enlightening insights into the past with a twist on history in the light of the present day.

Interesting stories!!

I enjoyed learning about the people in this book - most of which I had not heard of before. The author/narrator’s performance was very good as well.

Jenny Draper’s storytelling made me listen to it in one sitting

Awesome characters of history that I never heard about. It was a joy to listen to it from her own voice

I gasped, I laughed, I cried…ABSOLUTELY worth the read!!!

I am not typically a nonfiction fan, but I’ve been a fan of the author’s online video content for a while now, so I already knew I’d like her storytelling style and narration. The stories are told in a way that really humanizes these people - the author mentions she’s going for the feeling of a friend telling you a juicy story in a pub, and she really nails that vibe in the best way! I was extremely entertained the whole way through while also learning things and experiencing really poignant moments - exactly what I expected, having come from the author’s online content. What I didn’t expect was the depth of emotion among the humor, or to have found such comfort and hope from this collection of stories. I’m writing this review from the US in March of 2025, which is not a fantastic time and place to be. I cannot emphasize enough how much this book helped to soothe the feelings of hopeless and futility that I and most people I know have been suffering from this year so far. Hearing the stories of so many people who overcame terrible odds, and even (somehow, especially) the stories of those who did not live to see the fruits of their efforts but who nonetheless made great impacts on the world, was a real balm to the soul during such tumultuous times. When I tell you I cried at several of the stories, I’m talking tears openly running down my face while driving back from the grocery store (but in a good way). I have immediately begun to recommend this book to basically everyone I know, and if you’re still reading this very long review, I highly recommend it to you, too!

Detailed research into very interesting lives you probably never heard of

Right from the introduction story about the out of norm museum curator, the book sets a great time for expectations of what sort of lives we are going to learn about and you exactly get that in every chapter. The detailed research and accounting of history for what it is makes it intellectually engaging and the manner of writing gives it a good narrative tone where you constantly are invested in the characters of the stories as they evolve. The funny quips and enthusiastic narrative tone make the historical accounts in this book a far cry from the stereotypical boring image of historical texts we often bear in mind.

The chapter about Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was especially inspiring—I loved how she challenged norms and did what most women would have deemed unfathomable for their time. In a society where women and other disadvantaged communities are still navigating their roles and standing, her story offers powerful life lessons and inspiration.

A great cherry on top is that it is one of the better self-narrated audio books where the author does a very good job at the narration both in terms of speed, pronunciation, intonation and narration. Had a blast learning about the commoner and non-white mavericks in British history and being a non-British person, all stories were quite new to me and helped me also get an idea about the British society at different points from not just a royalty/aristocracy point of view but how regular people might have experienced life.

Love this book

What a fantastic book this was so interesting, so eye opening, loved every moment of it and really well read.by the author. I cannot wait for the next book she writes.

soooo glad it was read by the author

Funny, interesting, and more than worth the cost. If you’ve ever watched one of j. Drapers videos you’ll love the book.

A Celebration of Humanity

These are the stories and histories I wish I could have learned about in school but never got the chance, until now. To reflect on those who crossed barriers and defied norms, and perhaps inspire others to do the same. Thank you J. Draper

Great stories and amazing performance

The book is a great collection of different and interesting stories, peculiar enough to be original but without being caricatures. Every person's story is treated with the respect it deserves and delicate themes are treated with care and attention. The authors performance reading the books is simply amazing, always engaging and entertaining.