By Ed Helms

On Sale: Apr 29, 2025
Page Count: 256 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN-13: 9781538769485

$16.99

$21.99 CAD

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A New York Times Bestseller

From actor, comedian, writer, and host of the hit history podcast SNAFU, Ed Helms brings you an absurdly entertaining look at history’s biggest blunders, complete with lively illustrations.

History contains a plethora of insane screwups—otherwise known as SNAFUs. Coined during World War I, SNAFU is an acronym that stands for Situation Normal: All F*cked Up. In other words, “things are pretty screwed up, but aren’t they always?”

Spanning from the 1950’s to the present day, SNAFU features Ed Helms as unofficial history teacher with a loving tribute to humanity's finest face-plants, diving into each decade’s craziest SNAFUs. From planting nukes on the moon to training felines as CIA spies to weaponizing the weather, this book unpacks the incredibly ironic decision-making and hilariously terrifying aftermath of America’s biggest mishaps.

Filled with sharp humor and lively illustrations, SNAFU is a wild ride through time that covers the head-scratching and occasionally inspiring blunders that have shaped our world and made historians spit-take. They're the kinds of stories that not only entertain but offers fresh insights that just might prevent history from repeating itself again and again.

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“With his wry intelligence, Helms makes an ideal guide through these historical blunders… It’s a charming and irreverent alternative history.”
Publishers Weekly
"I loved Snafu. Wonderfully told history interwoven with hilariously painful blunders of each decade from the fifties on. I actually gripped my head a few times and clutched my chest, laughing throughout, entertained and educated, unable to stop reading."

Anne Lamott

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Ed Helms

About the Author

Ed Helms is an actor, comedian, and writer who first gained national attention as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Helms is perhaps best known for his iconic roles as Andy Bernard on NBC’s hit sitcom The Office and Stu in The Hangover film trilogy alongside Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis. His extensive filmography includes more titles such as Vacation, Cedar Rapids, and the hit Netflix comedy Family Switch alongside Jennifer Garner. Ed also co-created and starred in Rutherford Falls, an acclaimed sitcom on Peacock that cleverly tackled identity and history. When he’s not acting or producing projects through his company Pacific Electric Picture Co., Ed is busy hosting SNAFU, the hilarious and illuminating podcast that inspired this book. A proud banjo enthusiast, he co-founded The Bluegrass Situation, a platform for roots music fans. Ed hails from Atlanta, GA, and currently lives in Los Angeles with his family, who remain the greatest audience—and toughest critics—of his many dad jokes.

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Ed Helms

About the Author