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Its an easy read that does not take itself too seriously. History is too often so dry- its refreshing to take a fun, enjoyable look at it.
It's a straight up fun read. Just the right size and just the right price to make me pick it up.
The entries made me want to go look up more on the subjects. I recommend it, whether or not you are a history buff.
This book gives you a chance to take a quick, fun look at a lot of small pieces of history. And its a great way to make you jog your memory to see what you remember.
It's also left me hungry for more of the fun "stupid" books Gregory has put out.
I would recommend this. (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. 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. The author presents a lot of little-known historical facts, anecdotes, and trivia in a lighthearted manner. Even self-proclaimed history geeks may learn a thing or two. It would have been perfect had the sources the author used had been a little more solid.
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.
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. It's ironic that a book meant to show us the fallacies we carry around about history can have so many errors itself. What a waste.
But beware: you're in for a seemingly endless series of bad puns. 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. 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. That is, books on stupidity sell.
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). Stupidity sells. Reading about others making mistakes can be fun and educational.as long as it's OTHER people's mistakes.
Great stuff for trivia buffs.However, as much as I love books of this nature, I quickly got tired of Gregory's unending puns.
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