Didn't Cleopatra look like Elizabeth Taylor? Didn't Shakespeare look like Shakespeare? Doesn't Mazzini deserve to have a biscuit named after him? Did Napoleon pass his French exam? Did Nelson really see no ships? Van Gogh...or Van Gogh? And can you spot Hitch's cameo appearance this time?

Potted Portraits is an enjoyable saunter through a portrait gallery of varied personalities from History; revered or reviled, loved or loathed, each led a remarkable life that continues to be of interest today.

In a series of light verse biographies which delight in testing the limits of tolerance with their rhymes, puns and general linguistic convolutions, discover a few new things about some familiar characters; or reacquaint yourself with some familiar stories in a new way. Included are some perhaps rather less well-known figures, though no less deserving of attention and rewarding to read about.

If you want a little light didacticism, with the reasonable chance of a smile - even a laugh - this is the book for you!