History is about much more than dusty books, dreary dates, and long-forgotten battles. History is also about sex appeal! Historical Heartthrobs compiles photos and life stories of 50 of the sexiest men and women from history and asks the essential question: Would you really want to date them? Consider George Sand, for instance. She was the hottest thing in pants in nineteenth-century France, but would you really want to put up with all that smoking? Or what about Nikola Tesla? His utter brilliance made Victorians swoon, but he seemed incapable of swooning back. Would you endure his indifference in return for that incredible smile?

Each entry in Historical Heartthrobs includes a full-page photo, contemporary quotes, and an in-depth explanation of who these people were, why they mattered, and how they managed to be so seductive.

Entries also include:

Vital stats about the hottie's place of birth, lifespan, and major areas of influence.

The inside scoop on peccadilloes, noteworthy liaisons, and long-standing relationships.

An overall heat reading that factors in sex appeal, charisma, accomplishments, and of course, moral virtue. (Points are docked for brutality and rudeness!) Everyone included here made their mark on the world—but not everyone did so in an equally admirable fashion. John Wilkes Booth was definitely good-looking, but racist assassins don't generally make for the best life partners. Nellie Bly, on the other hand, did more in her average year than most people do in a lifetime—and she happened to look like a model, too. So review their records, check out their photos, and choose the hottie who makes you swoon.