Fatherless and frowned upon by society, these figures overcame all odds to achieve greatness, shape society, and leave a lasting mark on the world. They persevered against ostracism, grinding poverty, and ridicule in testaments that should inspire all underdogs. Leonardo da Vinci, Eva Peron, Alexander Hamilton, William the Conqueror, and Lawrence of Arabia are a few of the famous figures found in these pages.

William the Conqueror : a lucky bastard (1028-1087) -- Leonardo da Vinci : bastard of the Renaissance (1452-1519) -- Francisco Pizarro : a brutal bastard (1475-1541) -- Elizabeth I : from bastard daughter to virgin queen (1533-1603) -- James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth : the bastard who would be king (1649-1685) -- Alexander Hamilton : an illegitimate son becomes a founding father of a new nation (1757-1804) -- James Smithson : the mysterious bastard becomes benefactor of America's most prestigious museum (1765-1829) -- Bernardo O'Higgins : how the viceroy's illegitimate son became a national hero (1778-1842) -- Alexandre Dumas fils : an illegitimate son inherits his father's talents--and vices (1824-1895) -- Henry Stanley : the illegitimate Welshman who found Livingstone (1841-1904) -- Jack London : rebellious mother, rebellious son (1876-1916) -- Lawrence of Arabia : legendary, but not legitimate (1888-1935) -- Billie Holiday : how a parentless and poverty-stricken child became a jazz legend (1915-1959) -- Eva Peron : a struggling actress remakes herself into a cultural icon (1919-1952) -- Fidel Castro : an illegitimate child sparks a revolution--and reinvents a nation (1926- ).