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Stupid History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythconceptions Throughout the Ages
Leland Gregory

Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007 - 320 pages

average customer review:based on 8 reviews
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   highly recommended  highly recommended





Take it with a grain of salt!

Overall, Stupid History is a pretty good read, funny (although some of the puns are pretty painful) and enlightening. If I have a complaint at all, it's that some of the things listed in this book are just not true; the one that sticks out in my mind is the one about Cinderella's glass slippers being the result of a mistranslation from the French. The short version is, no, they weren't; you can find more info at either snopes.com or straightdope.com, and although the accounts differ in the fine details, they both agree that Cinderella never wore fur slippers in Charles Perrault's version of the story. (Anyway, I don't get why people are willing to buy the other details, like mice turning into horses and a pumpkin turning into a stagecoach, but they keep getting hung up on Cinderella's footwear. To paraphrase Unca Cecil's article at straightdope.com, glass slippers aren't supposed to be realistic; this is, after all, a freakin' fairy tale.) Of course, this isn't to say that Stupid History isn't educational; if nothing else, it's good to be reminded sometimes that history isn't an exact science, and what we take as solid and undeniable fact today may turn out tomorrow to be complete and utter garbage. So read this book, laugh and occasionally groan, keep in mind that it's not a textbook, and don't be afraid to go out and do a little poking around on your own.


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Very cool book!

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!









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Interesting Topic Undercut by Too Many Bad Puns!

Stupidity sells! That is, books on stupidity sell. (As I was glancing through this book, I noticed STUPID WARS nearby). 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. It also busts a few cherished myths such as what Columbus really achieved. 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. Great stuff for trivia buffs!

However, as much as I love books of this nature, I quickly got tired of Gregory's unending puns. 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. After all, it sells for only $9.95! But beware: you're in for a seemingly endless series of bad puns.


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totally worth it impulse buy

I purchased this at my local Borders Books. Unintentionally. They had it up at the register, and being a history fanatic, and a fan of all things trivialesque & stupid, I impulsively purchased the book. I'm so glad I did. As another reviewer said, the book is full of everything from, "Oh, really?" to "OH WOW!" and very 'punny' jokes.

Totally worth the money. I'm glad it was on display, or otherwise I may have never known of it's existence.


reviews: page 1, 2



If it would shock you to learn that Benjamin Franklin didn't discover electricity, you'll appreciate this take on hundreds of historical legends and debacles. Historians and humorists alike may be surprised to learn that:

Samuel Prescott made the famous horseback ride into Concord, not Paul Revere. As a member of Parliament, Isaac Newton spoke only once. He asked for an open window. On April 24, 1898, Spain declared war on the U.S., thus starting the Spanish-American War. The U.S. declared war the very next day, but not wanting to be outdone, had the date on the declaration changed from April 25 to April 21.With these and many other stories, leading humorist Leland Gregory once again highlights both the strange and the funny side of humankind.


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