Announcing the SNAFU Book!

Exciting news from SNAFU headquarters: our first book is coming out April 29, 2025. It's called SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups. Spanning from the 1950’s to the 2000’s, Ed Helms steps in as unofficial history teacher with a loving tribute to humanity’s finest faceplants, 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 will unpack the incredibly ironic decision-making and hilariously terrifying aftermath of America’s biggest mishaps. Make sure to preorder your copy now at SNAFU-Book.com https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsnafu-book.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdylanfagan%40iheartmedia.com%7C0b2ceccf89d9411e224508dd14961a5a%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638689357230695178%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=B7vVjBqGiLz%2BG25a1Yk6JED%2FIysPBq%2F%2Bu9FqC%2B%2BTI%2Bc%3D&reserved=0 See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• 0:02Speaker 00

  Hey there, Snafu listeners. I wanted to jump into our feed here with some big news. Well, huge news, actually. I am beyond thrilled to finally share with you that this coming April, my very first book is coming out. That's right. And it is based on this very podcast. The book is called Snafu: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screw-Ups, and I am insanely proud of it. This glorious compendium is packed with the same delightful chaos and jaw-dropping mishaps you've come to love from the podcast. But here's the kicker. Every single chapter is a brand-new story we've never told you before. Yep, we're diving

• 0:46Speaker 00

  headfirst into history's greatest snafus, covering everything from post-World War II era right up to today. You'll meet the larger-than-life characters behind these wild tales, unpack the social and political mayhem that set the stage, and of course, laugh at all the lessons learned and/or blissfully ignored. And because I'm just way too excited to keep all this stuff to myself, I wanted to treat you, dear listener, to a little sneak peek and amuse-bouche, if you will, of some of my favorite chapters.

• 1:23Speaker 00

  First off, back in 1952, a future president got up close and personal with, wait for it, nuclear radiation. Who, you ask? None other than number 39 himself, Jimmy Carter. Before his days in the Oval Office, Carter was a lieutenant in the US Navy specializing as a nuclear engineering officer. When a Canadian nuclear plant suffered a meltdown, Carter and his team were called in to save the day by literally lowering themselves into the reactor to clean up the mess. Now, the radiation was so intense, they could only spend 90 seconds down there at a time, which, let's be honest, I mean, that isn't much time for a deep clean, but it must have worked out okay because he still managed

• 2:08Speaker 00

  to become president of the United States, right? Okay, so here's another one, a gem from the 80s.

• 2:16Speaker 00

  Pepsi, yes, the soda company Pepsi briefly owned the sixth largest Navy fleet in the world. You heard that right. It is completely true. It all started when Pepsi pulled off a brilliant publicity stunt, becoming the first American product sold and distributed in the USSR. Now Soviet teens went wild for the fizzy syrupy goodness and demand skyrocketed. There was just one problem. Soviet rubles weren't considered a legitimate global currency. So the Soviet Union paid for its Pepsi orders with actual battleships and submarines. Yes, I swear it's true. Now Coca-Cola, you better watch

• 3:00Speaker 00

  your back. All right. Finally, here's one from the 2000s.

• 3:06Speaker 00

  International tensions cranked up when an American spy plane carrying top secret data made an unscheduled pit stop in Chinese territory. Spoiler alert, the welcome committee wasn't exactly rolling out the red carpet. So they had to make an emergency landing and in this emergency descent, the flight crew had less than 20 minutes to shred, smash, and otherwise obliterate as much classified info as humanly possible. What followed? Well, a full-blown diplomatic soap opera with the flight crew stuck in the world's most awkward layover and the US and China exchanging icy glares and pointing fingers. That is

• 3:49Speaker 00

  just a little teaser for you, but trust me, the details of those stories are even more insane and I can't wait to share them with you, along with so many more great stories when the Snafu book comes out on April 29th of next year. Here's the most exciting news of all. You can preorder a copy right now. That's right. Just go to snafu-book.com. That's snafu-book.com. There's also a link in our show notes, too. And just a quick word about preordering. It's really important. I know it might seem like, oh, why should I buy this book now? If it's not going to show up for four months. And I get it, believe me, I do. But here's the thing.

• 4:30Speaker 00

  Preordering is basically the equivalent of leaving a rating slash review in podcast land. Preorders show bookstores and booksellers that our podcast fans, you are already super excited for the book to come out. And it helps them give it more attention and support. And if the book does well, well, that also helps the podcast. And really, all I want to do is keep making seasons of this show that bring to light these crazy messed up stories from history. And of course, to keep giving you guys all something fun to listen to while you're doing chores or commuting to work, or whatever it is you like to do while listening to Snafu. So, once again, this is my shameless but very heartfelt plug.

• 5:14Speaker 00

  Please stop by snafu-book.com and preorder yourself a book, or two, or a hundred, you know, maybe even a thousand. Just keep them in the closet whenever you need to give out a cheeky sophisticated gift. Trust me, these Snafus are an absolute thrill ride packed with jaw dropping moments and tons of laughs. Oh, and before I sign off, one last quick teaser. I'm gonna be back, right here, with season three of Snafu, very soon. And when I say soon, I mean very soon, like, keep your podcast feed refreshed. So that's it. Thanks so much for tuning in. Wishing you a new year's filled with joy, laughter,

• 5:58Speaker 00

  and, well, far fewer Snafus than American history. Take care.

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