What does women's suffrage have to do with the telephone? How could elephants have brought a thousand years of peace to the Middle East? Which Roman emperor might have saved the life of Louis XVI? Could Sophocles's least popular play have rescued the twentieth century? How might Freemasons control the Capitol? Across 1400 years and six continents (sorry, Australia), Impossible Histories examines pivotal moments in history from both sides-what happened and what would have happened had things gone differently. The results are by turns strange, hilarious, tragic.and always fascinating.