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    Bizarre History: Strange Happenings, Stupid Misconceptions, Distorted Facts and Uncommon Events
    Unavailable
    Bizarre History: Strange Happenings, Stupid Misconceptions, Distorted Facts and Uncommon Events
    Unavailable
    Bizarre History: Strange Happenings, Stupid Misconceptions, Distorted Facts and Uncommon Events
    Ebook139 pages1 hour

    Bizarre History: Strange Happenings, Stupid Misconceptions, Distorted Facts and Uncommon Events

    By Joe Rhatigan

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    This is history served up high-octane, with all of the fun and none of the boredom. It's not about memorizing lists of dates or names, or remembering which general won what battle. Instead, BIZARRE HISTORY merrily digs up the scandals, the strangeness, and the scintillating details that illuminate personalities, events, and real life. Think of it not as a textbook, but as history’s juicy unauthorized biography--a historical document in which relevance never gets in the way of a good read. There are humorous quotes from famous figures such as Mark Twain and Napoleon ("History is a myth that men agree to believe"), as well as witty commentary about leaders of the past. After all, while you're probably familiar with William the Conquerer, have you heard of Charles the Simple, ruler of France and son of Louis the Stammerer? What about the emperor who entered Rome in a chariot drawn by 50 naked slaves—and invented the first whoopee cushion, too? But you can find lots of wildness closer to home: George Washington wrote love letters to a married woman; "Old Hickory" Andrew Jackson had been in at least seven duels before becoming president; and Benjamin Franklin fathered an illegitimate child. Paranoia also plagued a few of our presidents: the only thing Franklin Roosevelt had to fear was the number 13: he wouldn't invite 13 guests to a dinner party or travel on the 13th. And both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan had encounters with UFOs! The fun facts span the globe, covering the crazy acts of Caligula in the Roman Empire; the "Dog Shogun" in 17th century Japan; the "Pork and Beans" war between the US and Canada; and even details about fashion, medicine, sports, and the real Dracula. It's a wild journey that no one could resist!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateOct 1, 2011
    ISBN9781607345138
    Unavailable
    Bizarre History: Strange Happenings, Stupid Misconceptions, Distorted Facts and Uncommon Events
    Author

    Joe Rhatigan

    Joe Rhatigan has written many acclaimed and award-winning books for children, including White House Kids, Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole, and Alice in Wonderland: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

    Read more from Joe Rhatigan

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    Reviews for Bizarre History

    3.5/5

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    • 3/5
      A decent and rather entertaining read, I knew many of these just from reading as much history as I do but there were still some new ones on me so that was enjoyable. I did find it frustrating when I knew the bigger picture making the snippets in the book feel inaccurate due to being taken out of context. For more casual history readers, or someone who is newer to history there are plenty of stories to hopefully catch your attention and inspire you to learn more.