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I recommend it, whether or not you are a history buff. Just the right size and just the right price to make me pick it up.
Its an easy read that does not take itself too seriously. This book gives you a chance to take a quick, fun look at a lot of small pieces of history.
The entries made me want to go look up more on the subjects. And its a great way to make you jog your memory to see what you remember.
History is too often so dry- its refreshing to take a fun, enjoyable look at it. It's also left me hungry for more of the fun "stupid" books Gregory has put out.
It's a straight up fun read.
(And I do appreciate his explaining where the term "corny" originated).As a previous reviewer mentioned, some of the "facts" are only half-truths or plain incorrect. The author presents a lot of little-known historical facts, anecdotes, and trivia in a lighthearted manner. It would have been perfect had the sources the author used had been a little more solid. Even self-proclaimed history geeks may learn a thing or two. I personally found the book entertaining, even with the author's occasional corny jokes mixed in. This would be crippling if the book was supposed to be taken seriously, but, lucky for us, it's just not that type of history book. I would recommend this.
Stupid History is a fabulous, fun read. Some facts you may have thought you heard and others will surprise you.Makes for great trivia too.
It's ironic that a book meant to show us the fallacies we carry around about history can have so many errors itself. I've picked up on several blurbs that either don't tell the whole story (yes, it's true that Romans never used chariots for warfare, but the Mesopotamians did, as did the Persians, the Hittites, and the Egyptians; Lizzie Bordon was found not guilty in the trial for the murder of her parents, but being found "not guilty" does not man "proven innocent"), blurbs that have facts that don't make any sense (if a royal foot is shorter than a US customary foot, then Napoleon would have been listed as being TALLER than 5'6 in royal foot terms, not shorter) and blurbs that are just plain wrong, with quotes to prove them (Bert and Ernie were NOT named after the characters in It's a Wonderful Life, and Jim Henson himself has been quoted saying it's just a coincidence).This book is so smug about the historical facts people get wrong, and yet it's obvious he didn't do his research thoroughly. What a waste.
Stupidity sells. After all, it sells for only $9.95. It also busts a few cherished myths such as what Columbus really achieved.
(As I was glancing through this book, I noticed STUPID WARS nearby). Great stuff for trivia buffs.However, as much as I love books of this nature, I quickly got tired of Gregory's unending puns. That is, books on stupidity sell.
And, there's lots of strangeness covered as well: the House of Representatives changing 'french fries' to 'freedom fries,' the University of Wisconsin study on rhinotillexomania, Disney's ban on facial hair, etc. Reading about others making mistakes can be fun and educational.as long as it's OTHER people's mistakes. Leland Gregory's latest book dishes up 267 pages of "stupidity, strangeness and mythconceptions throughout the Ages."STUPID HISTORY has lots of interesting history - details on emperor Claudius' death, the true inventor of the telegraph, how bald eagles got their name, our fattest President, what the "Yankee Doodle Dandy" lyrics actually mean, etc.
Not only aren't most of them funny, I felt they undercut all the fascinating 'stupid history' which was the reason I bought the book.If you find the title - and subject - appealing, by all means, buy a copy. But beware: you're in for a seemingly endless series of bad puns.
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